A Pale-Faced Lie: Book Review and Giveaway

I'll tell you upfront - this book has absolutely nothing to do with cats. It just sounded interesting, so I took the opportunity to review it. I hope you all won't mind my little diversion today. I have news to share on both Carmine and Tylan next week. Stay tuned!

About the Book: Growing up on the Navajo Indian Reservation, David Crow and his three siblings idolized their dad. Tall, strong, smart, and brave, the self-taught Cherokee regaled his family with stories of his World War II feats. But as time passed, David discovered the other side of Thurston Crow, the ex-con with his own code of ethics that justified cruelty, violence, lies—even murder.

A shrewd con artist with a genius IQ, Thurston intimidated David with beatings to coerce him into doing his criminal bidding. David’s mom, too mentally ill to care for her children, couldn’t protect him. One day, Thurston packed up the house and took the kids, leaving her with nothing. Soon he remarried, and David learned that his stepmother was just as vicious and abusive as his father.

Through sheer determination, and with the help of a few angels along the way, David managed to get into college and achieve professional success. When he finally found the courage to stop helping his father with his criminal activities, he unwittingly triggered a plot of revenge that would force him into a showdown with Thurston Crow. With lives at stake, including his own, David would have only twenty-four hours to outsmart his father—the brilliant, psychotic man who bragged that the three years he spent in the notorious San Quentin State Prison had been the easiest time of his life.
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The Pale-Faced Lie is a searing, raw, palpable memoir that reminds us what an important role our parents play in our lives. Most of all, it’s an inspirational story about the power of forgiveness and the ability of the human spirit to rise above adversity, no matter the cost.

My Thoughts: David and his siblings experienced an incredibly abusive childhood. From the time he was young, his father talked about, "getting rid," of his mother. Unfortunately, David's mother was mentally ill and could not protect him and his siblings from their father's abuse. It was heartbreaking when they left her. 

David's father marries another woman. Unfortunately for him and his siblings, David's stepmother is as abusive as his father! His father and stepmother almost seem to enjoy coming up with cruel punishments for David and his siblings. It's really rather sad. 

It seemed like anytime something was finally going right in David's life, something would come along and ruin it. I felt so bad for him and his siblings and kept rooting for them to find some peace and happiness.

David finally gets to escape when he goes off to college. Despite his childhood, he becomes a success. Instead of being bitter about his past, he forgives his dad and gives back to his community by helping children and contributing to a homeless women's shelter. 

I admire David's resilience and determination. 

Though the book is mostly about David's childhood and the abuse he suffered not only at home, but at school as well, I find his story to be an inspirational one in the end. 

There is a lot of profanity in this book, in my opinion. While it didn't bother me, I thought I'd mention it in case it might bother others. Possible triggers: childhood abuse, domestic violence, and physical and verbal abuse.

About the Author: David Crow spent his early years on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona and New Mexico. Through grit, resilience, and a thirst for learning, he managed to escape his abusive childhood, graduate from college, and build a successful lobbyist business in Washington. Today, David is a sought-after speaker, giving talks to various businesses and trade organizations around the world.

Throughout the years, he has mentored over 200 college interns, performed pro bono service for the charitable organization Save the Children, and participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. An advocate for women, he will donate 10 percent of his book royalties to Barrett House, a homeless shelter for women in Albuquerque. David and his wife, Patty, live in the suburbs of DC.

Connect with David Crow: 

Website ~ Twitter ~ LinkedIn

Buy the Book

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of, "The Pale-Faced Lie," by David Crow for a fair and honest review. Receiving the book did not influence my opinion in any way. All opinions expressed on FurEverywhere are my own.