Through sheer determination, and with the help of a few angels along the way, David managed to get into college and achieve professional success. Soon he remarried, and David learned that his stepmother was just as vicious and abusive as his father. One day, Thurston packed up the house and took the kids, leaving her nothing. David's mom, too mentally ill to care for her children, couldn't protect him. 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.Ī shrewd con artist with a genius IQ, Thurston intimidated David with beatings to coerce him into doing his criminal bidding. Tall, strong, smart, and brave, the self-taught Cherokee regaled his family with stories of his World War II feats. Raw and palpable, The Pale-Faced Lie is an inspirational story about the power of forgiveness and the strength of the human spirit.Growing up on the Navajo Indian Reservation, David Crow and his siblings idolized their dad.

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. 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.

Intimidating David with beatings, Thurston coerced his son into doing his criminal bidding. 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. 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. 'Cinematically gripping.'- Kirkus Reviews 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)Ī violent ex-con forces his son to commit crimes in this unforgettable memoir about family and survival

David crow the pale faced lie