Patricide

About the Book

A spare, elegantly simple exploration of father-son love and father-son hate. Equally strong passions, left unbridled, one can be harmful, the other deadly.

Based on a real event, Patricide begins with a brutal homicide on the Iowa prairie in 1920. Told by several observers, the subject is handled with the respect befitting these salt of the earth people bewildered by the horrifying act of fifteen-year-old Carl Jess.

What drove this boy to patricide? What was his motivation? Did he believe he had something to gain, or was he totally deranged?

While the community wrestles with these questions, attempting to sort fact from speculation, the five men closest to the case examine their relationship with their sons.

The killer, Carl Jess, has a point of view, too.

Stirring the pot is Augusta Duvall, the first female reporter for the Des Moines Register, who publishes a sensationalized and somewhat fictional portrayal of Carl Jess. She also stirs romantic feelings in John Glover, 50 years her senior; they become the target of gossip.

Patricide will have readers contemplating their life and family relationships.

Given circumstances similar to Carl Jess’s, who among us might commit murder?

Christensen’s authentic voice carries readers beyond the opening shock of patricide into the hearts and minds of a rich cast of characters who explore the complexities of the human condition that tie, bind, and wound families. Long after closing this thought-provoking novel readers will find themselves asking: Why?
— JB Hamilton Queen: author of Dagger in the Cup, NIEBA Award; Raincrow; Imminent Reprisal; Masters of the Breed; and Sweet Gums.

When tragedy strikes, I turn to a master storyteller for comfort and illumination. Madonna is one such light-bearer. In this beautifully and compassionately told tale, unfolding from multiple perspectives—the sheriff, the newspaper reporter, the reverend, the young killer himself—Madonna portrays a community struggling to live with incomprehensible evil. Once you’ve read this story, it will be a light for your journey for the rest of your life.
— Marshall J. Cook, professor emeritus of creative writing, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and author of the Monona Quinn mystery series.

About the Author

Madonna Dries Christensen was born on an Ashton farm in 1935, one of 15 children of Frank Anton Dries and Maybelle Guertin Dries. The family moved to Sibley in 1942. Madonna graduated from Sibley High School in 1953, and remained in Sibley (minus one year) until 1959.

Madonna’s paternal and maternal ancestors were early settlers in Osceola County, emigrating from Germany, Ireland, and Canada. Madonna and her husband Gary L. Christensen reside in Sarasota, Florida.

In addition to compiling several volumes of family history, Madonna’s writing has appeared in more than 100 publications, with three nominations for the Pushcart Prize. She’s currently a columnist for Extra Innings and Today’s Seniors, and Editor/Publisher of Doorways, a memoir publication. Madonna is the author of: The Quiet Warrior; Swinging Sisters; Masquerade: The Swindler Who Conned J. Edgar Hoover; Dolls Remembered; Toys Remembered; the memoir In Her Shoes: Step By Step; and, The Orator And The Sage, a biographical sketch of Osceola County pioneers John and Lyn Glover.

With the exception of The Orator And The Sage, all books are available on Amazon and other book sites, with royalties going to charity. The Orator And The Sage is available through www.magcloud.com, and all of the author’s books are on the shelves at Sibley Public Library.