Once
Upon A Lie
By
Michael French
Genre:
Mystery/Suspense
Once Upon a
Lie is about two strangers who become
unlikely friends, only to unintentionally put each other's life in jeopardy.
Jaleel Robeson, a gifted, eighteen year-old black man, falsely accused of
murdering his father in a small Texas town, is on the run. He assumes a
new identity in 1980s Los Angeles as a successful student on his way to
college. Alexandra Baten, a restless sixteen year old while girl, lives in a
privileged Toluca Lake family but feels trapped by her parents' values.
One weekend, she rides her bike into a run down neighborhood, meeting a
young black man selling lemonade. Thus begins a friendship between
opposites, at least on the surface, but they learn they have more in
common than they imagine. Told from each character's point of view in
alternating chapters, we become involved in a gripping tale of two Americas
where discontent and violence always lurk under the surface. When they
erupt, no one is safe. Once Upon a Lie is both a family drama and
a crime drama, as well as an exploration of interracial love,
mother-daughter relationships, and redemption through courage.
My Review
I read a lot of books and I can't remember the last time a book has left me with so many feelings. Michael French is a wonderful writer. I felt he really placed me into the scenes. I found myself cringing through some of the encounters Jaleel faced as a young black man. It hurt my heart. And while Alex comes from an extremely privileged family, I did like her very much. She maintained compassion and humility throughout the novel.
These two characters connect in a super emotional way. Through drama and corruption, they both stay together and grow with each other. Alex faces just as much pain as Jaleel which I think shows despite where you come from, everyone faces similar trials.
I appreciate that the author didn't end this deep story in a happily ever after kind of way. It feels real. It haunts you in the best way possible.
Author
Bio
Michael R. French
graduated from Stanford University where he was an English major, focusing on
creative writing, and studied under Wallace Stegner. He received a Master's degree in journalism
from Northwestern University. He later
served in the United States Army before marrying Patricia Goodkind, an educator
and entrepreneur, and starting a family. In addition to publishing over
twenty titles, including award-winning young adult fiction, adult fiction,
biographies ad self-help books, he has written or co-written a half-dozen
screenplays, including Intersection, which has won awards in over twenty
film festivals. He has also had a long business career in real estate,
living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His passions include travel, collecting
rare books, and hanging with friends and family. He describes his worst
traits as impatience and saying "no" too quickly; his best are
curiosity, taking risks, and learning from failure.
Twitter: twitter.com/mfrenchauthor
Website: http://www.michaelrfrench.com
Amazon
Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-French/e/B001ITYVES
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27181442-once-upon-a-lie
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27181442-once-upon-a-lie
Connect with the novels two main characters online
Alex Baten
Facebook: http://bit.ly/Alexbaten
Twitter: http://bit.ly/AlexBatenTW
Jaleel Robeson
Facebook: http://bit.ly/JaleelRobeson
Twitter: http://bit.ly/JaleelRobesonTW
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