The Pale-Faced Lie: A True Story

by David Crow

Overview

WINNER OF THE SPUR AWARD FOR BEST WESTERN FIRST NONFICTION BOOK • FINALIST FOR THE SPUR AWARD FOR BEST WESTERN CONTEMPORARY NONFICTION • IPPY SILVER AWARD FOR BEST MEMOIR • NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR BEST MEMOIR (OVERCOMING ADVERSITY)

A violent ex-con forces his son to commit crimes in this unforgettable memoir about family and survival

"Cinematically gripping."--Kirkus Reviews

Growing up on the Navajo Indian Reservation, David Crow and his siblings idolized their dad, a self-taught Cherokee who loved to tell his children about 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. Intimidating David with beatings, Thurston coerced his son into doing his criminal bidding. David's mom, too mentally ill to care for her children, couldn't protect him.

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 refuse his father's criminal demands, he unwittingly triggered a plot of revenge that would force him into a deadly showdown with Thurston Crow. 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.

Raw and palpable, The Pale-Faced Lie is an inspirational story about the power of forgiveness and the strength of the human spirit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780997487152
Publisher:	Sandra Jonas Publishing House
Publication date:	10/15/2019
Pages:	356
Sales rank:	55,015
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.79(d)

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 lobbying firm in Washington, DC. Today, David is a sought-after speaker, giving talks to various 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 a percentage of his royalties from "The Pale-Faced Lie" to Barrett House, a homeless shelter for women in Albuquerque. David and his wife, Patty, live in the suburbs of DC.

Editorial Reviews

"This painful memoir . . . delivers a truthful and ultimately empowering missive about the long shadow cast by an abusive parent."--Publishers Weekly

"For fans of Tara Westover's Educated, The Pale-Faced Lie: A True Story is a disturbing yet captivating memoir of how one man's psychopathic delusions can imprison an entire family . . . an empowering memoir."--New York Journal of Books

"Crow's memoir is cinematically gripping. . . . An extraordinary remembrance that's both gut-wrenching and inspiring."--Kirkus Reviews

"A hard-hitting, gut-punch memoir that should be on any reading list about family relationships and abuse, true crime, and Native American culture and interrelationships."--Midwest Book Review

"The Pale-Faced Lie by David Crow is one of the most enlightening and entertaining true stories I have ever read. . . . Every page brings new action and excitement, delivered with easy dialogue and sincerity. If you're looking for an absorbing and touching read, grab The Pale-Faced Lie today." 5 STARS--Readers' Favorite

"A compellingly and graphically written memoir about a supremely dysfunctional family."--David Steinberg, Albuquerque Journal

"It's hard to imagine a worse childhood than author David Crow and his siblings experienced. But his compelling and heart-wrenching memoir rises above the horror as a powerful testimony to the enduring strength of the human spirit. Crow's skill as a writer and his amazing lack of self-pity make this true story even more engaging."---Anne Hillerman, New York Times best-selling author

"The Pale-Faced Lie is a hard and brilliantly insightful look into dealing with the hand we're dealt and improving it."--Joe R. Lansdale, award-winning author of over 40 novels, including Paradise Sky and Cold in July

"[Crow] has considerable wisdom to impart, and an unexpected ending that will linger in memory. I promise that you've never read a book quite like this one."--Jeff Guinn, New York Times best-selling author

"Heartbreaking and gut-wrenchingly honest. Anyone with a troubled childhood should read The Pale-Faced Lie. David Crow's book is proof that hope rises from the ashes."--Chris Enss, New York Times best-selling author

"A memoir of an extraordinary life that is lifted by extraordinary storytelling. . . . emotionally engaging, consistently entertaining, and nearly impossible to put down."--James Anderson, author of The Never-Open Desert Diner and Lullaby Road

"The Pale-Faced Lie is as gripping as some of the best-selling fiction books ever written. David Crow's amazing true story is hard to read, but even harder to put down. I missed one of my own deadlines because I didn't want to stop reading!"--Sherry Monahan, award-winning author of The Golden Elixir of the West; Tinsel, Tumbleweeds, and Star-Spangled Celebrations

"A riveting account of a world turned upside down. A very visual, engaging, and well-written book that will make the reader cringe, cry, and cheer for a boy on a treacherous journey to adulthood. Couldn't put it down."--Felix F. Giordano, best-selling author of the Jim Buchanan novels

"A dramatic tale of strength, learning, love, and hate. You won't be disappointed."--Mark Reps, author, Zeb Hanks: Small Town Sheriff Big Time Trouble series

From the Publisher

03/11/2019

In this painful memoir, Crow recounts his experience growing up with a mentally ill mother and a violent, psychologically abusive father who expected his son to be “a Cherokee Indian of superior intelligence and courage.” With a degree of emotional dissonance, Crow explores the circumstances that led to his father Thurston’s arrest for nearly beating a man to death before the author was born, and how his disarming charisma and fabrications led to a light sentence. Crow grapples with the realization that Thurston unsuccessfully attempted to murder his mother, nearly making good on his frequent threats to make her disappear (“I was three and a half the first time my dad told me we had to get rid of my mother”). As an adult, Crow confronts the impact of Thurston’s violence and insatiable lies on his psychological development, while acknowledging his history of enabling his father’s crimes; at last, he confronts the monstrous man who raised him. Despite instances of stiff dialogue, Crow vividly characterizes a complex, deeply intelligent, and volatile figure whose lies would extend as far as fabricating his Native American heritage. Crow’s work delivers a truthful and ultimately empowering missive about the long shadow cast by an abusive parent. (May)

Publishers Weekly