Reader Reviews
I Cannot Tell A Lie
-
Though touted as a "novel," the back matter of this book demonstrates that this author did some serious research in putting together "I Cannot Tell a Lie." This extensive saga gives the reader a wrenching, personal tour through the victories and heartaches of one family - who spent 200 years in the shadow of a secret that can - and will - change the way the world views American history. There is much to be learned from this fascinating book, aside from the astonishing revelation that the blood of our first national hero lives on in an African American family. The book gives us a whole new set of heros - in the form of courageous, lively people of color, and of mixed race - who have been omitted from our texts. This is a generous gift to America and the author is to be applauded. Read this book if you're ready to hear the truth about what America is, and should be, all about.
Click here to visit Amazon -
The book is a great read, and contains documented evidence of the very strong connection of the Fords to the Washington family. I don't think you will find ANY slaveowners leaving a former slave 160 acres of land in a will without a family connection. That fact alone is proof to me of the relationship. Of course, it is easy to blame it on the ubiquitous "nephew," as happened with the Thomas Jefferson-Sally Hemings case. Truth be known, there is unlikely to be a single Virginia founding-father-type, "aristocratic" slave-owning family without its black offshoot. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and these folks had total and complete power over their slaves, and nature was bound to take its course. I know of other stories such as this, and have a few in my family that will probably never be told, at least not by me. In my spouse's family, it was the ninth governor of Alabama. What a country this is! If we can ever come to tell the truth about beginnings, maybe we can commence to really move forward toward building the kind of nation that we claim we are.
Click here to visit Amazon -
George Washington, may not have chopped down the Cherry Tree but,Linda Allen Bryant, had enough branches to build a tree of his African-American Descendants.
A lot of time had to be spent for Linda to take us back to the 1700's when George fathered a son,West Ford, by a slave named Venus. She weaves the story through each generation to bring us up to the present ending with her own family.
This is a wonderful, informative, educational book and a very interesting read.
Click here to visit Amazon -
I was skeptical at first when I bought this book. I thought "here we go again" with another story about our forefather's flaws, but the writer handled the book with sensitivity. Her family's story is one that should be told and is truly believable. Why this story has been hidden for so long is truly a blot on American history. The book is interesting -especially to those who want a deep and meaningful read.
Click here to visit Amazon -
The author takes you on a trip through history in a way you've never imagined - opening new doors with new interpretations and making the reader speculate as to the paternity of a mulatto man named West Ford. Was this man the son of George Washington? After reading this fascinating book I can say, YES HE WAS!
I Cannot Tell a Lie is a deeply affecting story and I found myself moved by the plight of this courageous family as they struggled through two centuries to maintain their secret legacy throughout American history's most insensitive times.
The characters are vivid and their story will haunt you for weeks after you've turned the last page. I can't wait for a movie to be made.Click here to visit Amazon
