When we speak about white lies we usually mean minor untruths, often uttered for benign reasons: I don't mind (when you really do); you look great (when she/he/they really doesn't)... In The Truth About White Lies Olivia A. Cole gives the phrase a whole new sinister meaning.
"With her grandmother's heart and arms too weak to lift the soil, Shania had come to help bury the dog.
'I think under the sycamore is best," Gram said. 'Or maybe by the willow. What do you think?'"
Her grandmother has just told Shania we all are liars when she slumps over. An ambulance 🚑 takes her away. She never comes back. The thing she was going to tell Shania she takes to the grave.
Months later Shania and her mother have moved from the small town she grew up in to Shh rapidly gentrifying city. She's entering Bard Academy, a snobby, exclusive private school. (Shania BTW is white). She's quite surprised when Catherine, the ultra popular (the whole school snaps "like piranhas" the words she invents) sister of the Bard golden boy, Prescott. She's even more surprised when Prescott takes a romantic interest in her.
Shania has a part time job in Pauli's, a doughnut 🍩 shop, one of the last older stores that haven't been taken over by trendy establishments. A regular customer hopes it won't succumb.
"Somebody said something about some kinda designer donuts 🍩 today. Green-tea doughnuts 🍩 and bourbon this and that. Paulie's keeps it simple, and there ain't nothing wrong with that."
Gentrification isn't the only alarming trend in the business district. Someone has been killng cats and escalates to the unsheltered population. Shania doesn't want to believe that Prescott is the killer.
And she may have some racist skeletons in her own family closet. Including dear old Gram.
The Truth About White Lies is based on Cole's own "wake-up moment". A tenth grade teacher had heard her say something about reverse racism and explained why that was an imssibility. The authenticity she brings to the novel makes it well worth reading.
On a purrrsonal note, sorry about it being over a week since my last post. The week, including October "Break", was mostly spent on my laptop searching for the student conduct directors of American 4 years and universities to send my survey (for my internship research) to. I did find 447. My next possibly insurmountable hurdle is finding someone on campus with the ability and time to help me use Qualtrix to translate my written survey into an online survey and send it out.
A great big shout out goes out to the conduct directors who will hopefully respond to the surveys instead of deleting them. That is if I ever get them sent out. If by some miracle I pass this internship, which I need to to graduate 🎓 in May, I will get my first tattoo. A 🐈 😻 🐈⬛️ 😺 🐱 😸 of course.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartpho
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