At The Wake

<p><em>At the Wake</em> is an unflinching exploration of family legacy and the long shadow cast by one man's life. Achiel Van Slyck was a man of contradictions-a war hero who took pride in his service but also a vindictive neighbor a volatile father and a man whose actions shattered lives including his own. When he murdered Clifford Ellis in 1975 the crime sent shockwaves through his family and community leaving scars and secrets that would ripple across generations.</p><p>Through a kaleidoscope of perspectives-his wife children siblings and even his victims-Achiel's story unfolds in fragments revealing a complex portrait of a man shaped by trauma war and a simmering rage. As each family member recounts their experiences they grapple with the truths of their shared past the weight of Achiel's legacy and their own struggles to reconcile love anger and loss.</p><p>Set against the backdrop of small-town dynamics and spanning decades <em>At the Wake</em> delves into the messy often painful process of confronting one's history. It's a tale of resilience reflection and the ways in which families try to move forward while bearing the imprint of the past. Michael David MacBride weaves a haunting and evocative narrative that challenges readers to ask: can we ever truly escape the shadows of our ancestors?</p>