Growing up, David Crow believed his Cherokee father was a war hero. He was actually a violent ex-con—and he turned his own son into an accomplice. Spur Award Winner for Best Western First Nonfiction Book • Spur Award Finalist for Best Western Contemporary Nonfiction • IPPY Silver Award for Best Memoir • Next Generation Indie Award for Best Memoir (Overcoming Adversity) • International Book Award for Best True Crime • Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal, Nonfiction Drama David and his three siblings grew up on the Navajo Indian Reservation idolizing their father, a self-taught Cherokee who dazzled them with stories of his World War II feats. But over time, David discovered the chilling truth: Thurston Crow was an ex-con and pathological liar whose twisted moral code justified cruelty, violence—even murder. Using beatings and intimidation, Thurston forced him to carry out his criminal bidding. David’s mother, crippled by mental illness, was unable to protect him. Through sheer determination, he carved out a life of his own, putting himself through college and building a successful career. When he finally found the courage to refuse his father’s demands, he unwittingly ignited a deadly plot of revenge. David had only twenty-four hours to outsmart him—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, unflinching, and impossible to put down, The Pale-Faced Lie is a memoir of survival, resilience, and the staggering cost of escaping the grip of a dangerous parent. “Both gut-wrenching and inspiring.”— Kirkus Reviews “Empowering missive about the long shadow cast by an abusive parent.”— Publishers Weekly “For fans of Tara Westover’s Educated , The Pale-Faced Lie . . . is a disturbing yet captivating memoir about how one man’s psychotic delusions can imprison an entire family.”— New York Journal of Books "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 "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." — Readers' Favorite (5 Stars) "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 "Let me tell you, 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 "David Crow's incredible resilience shines through this story of triumph over adversity. . . . What makes one child so persistent and undefeatable, and another crumble? It's a question for the ages, but we can never have enough of these kinds of stories and examples." —Toby Neal, award-winning author of Freckled: A Memoir of Growing up Wild in Hawaii and the USA Today best-selling Paradise Crime Mystery series "A memoir of an extraordinary life that is lifted by extraordinary storytelling. . . . It is emotionally engaging, consistently entertaining, and nearly impossible to put down." —James Anderson, author of The Never-Open Desert Diner and Lullaby Road "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 o