Karl Vokil has the same love of the thick fertile earth as his father and beloved grandfather. When his grandfather dies and his grandmother moves to Ohio, Karl grieves for his loss without realizing it is only the beginning. Everything changes in 1917 when Karl's brother, Alex, gives up his dream of becoming a doctor and enlists in the army just as the United States joins forces with Europe to defeat Germany. When Alex is killed in action, Karl's life as he knows it is taken away in an instant. Against insurmountable odds, he overcomes the heartbreak of tragedy and moves forward in a direction that surprises even those closest to him. As Karl moves from farmer to doctor to husband and father, he must endure tragedies and betrayals, all while coping with the losses of friends and family sent to war. Now only time will tell if Karl can successfully navigate through these battles as he faces life's most difficult and painful challenges during the twentieth century. The Wooden Bench is the inspiring story of one man's journey to find happiness as life leads him in a direction he never imagined.