Creating Cain: My Father's Surprising Story of Love, Success, Deceit, and Loss

Wilmer Hays was a child born into the Great Depression. His dreams of success became a requirement for him from an early age. By the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had grown into a dedicated and hard-working young adult, committed to providing his family with a better life than his parents provided him. By 1965, most would describe him as living the American Dream in the beautiful Chicago suburb of Grayslake. He was happily married with two children and owned a nice house. He had a great job, a prospering second business, cars, friends, respect in the community, and-perhaps most importantly to him at the time-he had money.

By almost every account, Wilmer Hays had it all. Then, seemingly overnight, it was all gone. He left it all behind, moved his family to a neighboring town, and lived the remainder of his life teetering on the brink of poverty. Years later, his son would seek the answer to an important question: What happened in Grayslake that so dramatically changed all their lives forever? He wasn't prepared for what he would learn.