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2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 A Thought Provoking Book Nov 26, 2009
By Cornelia Holland
"The Truth in the Lie" by R. Chase Raiford is a historic novel which transports the reader to an era of slavery seldom addressed and incorporates the meanings of the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War.
Parker Rogers, a North Carolina slave, was taken to the Revolutionary War to serve as his master's valet. Subsequently Parker was enlisted in the Army and his military pay was collected by his master. Parker Rogers, described as a mullato, and another slave named "Buck," are later listed as run-away slaves in a Wilmington North Carolina newspaper. Depositions in the court records of Williamson County, Tennessee state that Parker Rogers did in fact serve in the Revolutionary War and qualified for a Tennessee Land Grant. These are historical facts about the life of Parker Rogers.
Raiford has woven a story built on the above facts, incorporating Parker Rogers' ancestry, his life as a slave and a soldier, his subsequent life as a land owner in Tennessee, and ending in 2008 when Parker's descendents "meet" their ancestor.
 Truth Will Out! Jun 08, 2010
By Lindsay Pasch
"VaBookworm87"
Parker Rogers' life was not easy, but he did have an advantage over his peers. Parker began his life as a slave on a North Carolina plantation shortly before the Revolutionary War. Unlike the other slaves, Parker was well educated in the skills of reading and writing from a young age. He was also spared from participating in fieldwork, instead being given a job in the house. Parker's good fortune stemmed from a lucky draw from the gene pool-his mother was an African woman but his father was the white master of the plantation- and Parker inherited his father's white skin. Parker was named for his father, who was very actively involved in educating the boy. Little did Parker know that the literacy, politics, and business involved in the running of a successful plantation that were taught to him by his father would prepare him for a future outside the bondage of slavery.
The Truth In the Lie is a collection of Parker's recollections, including his time as a slave, his experiences during the Revolutionary War, and his subsequent journey to become a free man. After an incident occurs that may reveal him for what he is (a black man), Parker has to decide whether it is time to reveal the truth about the lie he has lived for many years. The revelation would have drastic repercussions on his family, and Parker does not want to ruin everything for which he has worked. Parker concludes that it is not the right time for the facts of his life to become known, and instead he writes down everything he can remember in a letter. After completing the letter, he adds the documents to a time capsule that is being buried under the new church, hoping when it is pulled out in the 21st century that the situation for blacks in America will have improved. Parker feels that denying his descendents the knowledge of who they were was to condemn them to be incomplete individuals, however his letter would one day offer his family a complete idea of who they were and where they came from. The story ends in the 21st century with the descendents of Parker Rogers finding the documents.
This book offered an incredibly interesting perspective on slavery. Through Parker, the reader is able to learn a bit about the lives of early African slaves in the colonies. As a slave who is able to pass for white, Parker lends a voice to both opinions on slavery- that of the slaves and that of the masters. The history books focus a great deal of their information on the words and opinions of prominent white men, such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, but this books allows us to see the Revolution from a different perspective. At the time of the American Revolution, there were hundreds of thousands of blacks, totaling almost one fifth of the American population. For the slaves, the words "all men are created equal" were going to usher in a new era of freedom and equality. Through Parker, the reader is able to witness how hope turned to despair for a population of people as the new Constitution took effect.
I really enjoyed the book, and liked the method of telling the story in a series of flashbacks while simultaneously developing a story later in Parker's life. The dialect was fitting for the setting, and lent a great deal to the quality of the conversations. There were, however, a few problems that caught my attention. The most glaring problem is the cover art. The cover looks like it was pieced together on Microsoft Word, with a gradient background, some clip art images, some word art for the title, and a few text boxes. I could easily reproduce this cover on Microsoft Word. For such an interesting story, the cover does it no justice. If I passed this one on a bookstore shelf, I would look at it and think, "Wow. No effort was put into that." And then I'd continue on my way without a second glance.
The biggest issue with the actual reading that I ran into was the use of the words "truth" and "lie". I know authors sometimes work the title into the story as a means of driving home the point, as well as drawing attention to the meaning of the title. However, the words truth and lie were grossly overused. Fortunately it didn't last the entire book, but when I first started reading I was concerned about how rough of a read the book was bound to be based on first impressions. At one point, their overuse was so overwhelming that I decided to count, and in twelve paragraphs the word truth was used twenty two times and the word lie was used twenty eight times! As I said, it only lasted a few chapters and then, although they still cropped up from time to time, the words were used significantly less.
The second issue I found, although insignificant in comparison to the first problem, was a remark made in the latter half of the book. After reading a newspaper clipping about him, Parker thinks to himself, "The paper said I looked to be a quadroon. Was one of my grandparents part white? I never knew much about them." Initially all I could think after reading this was, "Well of course your grandparents are white! Your father was the plantation owner"! After verifying the meaning of quadroon, I know he was referring to one of his maternal grandparents potentially being white. However, from what Parker learned from his mother, his grandfather was African, and he knew his grandmother was also African because he lived with her!
The only other thing that I wasn't fond of was the preaching. It wasn't religious preaching, although Christianity and the African religions are often mentioned. It's more of a self righteous soap box sort of preaching. Whenever the characters start thinking about the Founding Fathers, they spend time dwelling on how dishonest, selfish, and narrow minded the Founding Fathers had been. The final chapters in the book were of a speech made by one of Parker's descendants that had discovered his letters. Her speech also seemed to preach a great deal. All of the preaching was a bit exasperating at times, and I felt that it went on for far too long.
Overlooking the items that had caught my attention, the book was very good. I enjoyed the story, which had a great combination of action, drama, love, and nail biting suspense! You endure hardships with Parker, follow him into battle, and share his joys and sorrows. The book is full of interesting and unique characters, meeting members of a family derived from two continents and spanning centuries. It doesn't speak negatively against slavery, but more so against the Founding Fathers, who are portrayed as self-serving despots. It's an interesting story, and seems to preach a bit, but if you enjoy historical fiction, I think you'd enjoy The Truth In The Lie!
A MUST if you are a history buff! May 31, 2010
By M. R. Blaise
"The Truth in the Lie" is a spellbounding story taking place at the end of the 18th century. The book is about the life of a former slave who fought in the Revolutionary War and his story of becoming a self-made man. Being a history buff myself, I learned a great deal of the facts that are woven into this wonderful tale which the authro based on the life of a real individual from his family records.
The Truth In The Lie Feb 17, 2010
By Bobby H. Griffin
For any person who was born and raised in the south this is a must read. The "truth" could apply in any section of the world, but the author injects a "personal touch" in weaving this web of truth about human racial relationship in the birth period of our "democracy."
His spin with history, "sacred document and events" causes pause for reflections by the reader of one's own family connections and meaningful associations and relationship.
He ends with a riveting, respectfully caring challenge that we've not met all our initially established ideals, even today.
Bobby H. Griffin
As good as it gets Jan 24, 2010
By W. Alex Dorminy
As I read "The Truth In The Lie", I was thoroughly entertained. I chose to read another review to better assess my position on the book. To my surprise, the review I selected (a four star item) contained some criticisms with which I strongly disagree. To me, the book did not present "all white Americans in the South" as bad people, and certainly not that "American founding fathers were despots". In my opinion, this book paints a vivid, accurate picture of life during one of our country's most demanding times, during which slavery, as introduced by our European forefathers to our country, became a national, not regional concern. It was during this period, prior to and during the Revolutionary War, that slavery was developed and thrust forward in our history. The use of dialect, with a dose of the "N" word, is intended to delineate society's directives at that time. The dialect is not nearly as prevalent from the mid-section toward the closing chapters of the book, and is specifically used to set the stage for the action(s) that ensue. The "N" word is merely a Southern derivation of the accepted term Negro, used at that time to define the black race. This derivation was actually used as a descriptive noun during this time, both in dialect and the written word. The book appears to have been written by a Southern gentleman, whose own experiences have contributed to the tone of the story.
This book combines actual historical fact with human imagination to produce a veritable treasure hunt of activity and emotion. The reader is transported through a series of events involving slaves, free men, masters/owners, lovers, friends and enemies...quite a cross-section of humanity. "The Truth In The Lie" is really good reading...hard to put down. I've been reading books for more than fifty years, and I can honestly say that this is one that has peaked my interest from the first chapter to the last page. It will allow you to take sides, providing you with all the necessary information to do so. Finally, I hope that, as the book concluded, there may be the possibility of a continuation of this story as it unfolds in our century. This is definitely a top shelf, five star choice!
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