The Pale-Faced Lie Review by Glenda
The Pale-Faced Lie
Review by Glenda
It was the cover and nothing other than the cover that pulled me in to press the ‘buy’ button for this memoir.
Who was that little boy holding up such a big car? What was his story? I knew it wasn’t going to be good because the words scrawled across the front in white and blood red screamed what the little boy couldn’t…
Dark. Glenda, this one will be dark.
The Pale-Faced Lie is a perfect title for this memoir set throughout the late ’50s, ’60s, and into the ’70s culminating with David Crow, the adult, answering the unanswered questions I had gathered along the way.
It was dark, and I had to put it down on several occasions because it was disturbing. I also read other books between it. I could only absorb bits of David’s experiences at a time. I felt bad about that. He had to live it every moment of his life.
To say that I grew to despise the actions of his Mother, his Father, and Mona is an understatement. What they did made my blood curl. If you are particularly sensitive to the plight of childhood abuse you may want to pass this book over. While the lashings lashed, it was the psychological attacks that made me seeth, more than once I threw the book down uttering “What is WRONG with people!”
It was hard to read. YET…
There is victory.
Some readers may not think so. I can imagine some readers would have liked a victory that had David slaying Goliath with a sword of flames. This David used a potato… and then later a pebble. He inspired me by using the pebble of forgiveness. It’s so much easier to hate.
While I know David needed to forgive to survive, I did very much enjoy reading how he used everything his father taught him on his father. (I’m guilty of enjoying a little vengeance. 😛 )
Throughout the story, David ran. I was able to catch him on Facebook to ask if he was still running. A knee injury has him pedaling instead. (PS I love Authors who take the time to respond to us ‘regular’ folks!) I understood what running did for him and truly was thankful that he discovered it for himself.
David pulled me into the era of his youth and introduced me to places I’ve never been yet his descriptions of the Navajo battling their alcoholic demons resonated with me here in Chilliwack BC. Our natives beat back the same demons in 2023.
I gave the book a solid 4 out of 5. But David gets a 10 out of 5 for endurance and overcoming!
If you love memoirs, if you love stories of human lives enduring and surviving (against the odds I have to add) then you will enjoy A Pale-Faced Lie.
