Once Upon a Lie - Softcover

"A well-observed portrait of two lives' trajectories. French shows a skillful hand with characters

Twelve-year-old Jaleel Robeson is on the run after the police in his tiny Texas town try to frame him for the death of his father. A world away, Alexandra â Alexâ Baten is growing up amid all the material comforts a wealthy Los Angeles lawyer can provide. One day, a simple cup of lemonade unites their lives, leading to a maze of adultery and murder that shatters Alexâ s youthful innocence and Jaleelâ s struggle to reshape his life.While the forces of the law try to unravel the mysterious deathâ or at least find a scapegoatâ the two youths see the trajectories of their lives entwine, unravel, and come together again. Justice, Alex learns, can be a strange and nebulous thing, easily enmeshed in webs of loyalty and betrayal. Justice, Jaleel finds, can be a powerfulâ but dangerousâ rock on which to build a life of honor and courage. As their stories play out over the years in cities far apart, best-selling author Michael French fills the world of Alex and Jaleel with a cast of vivid characters both supporting and threatening their efforts to build a life that â worksâ amid the expectancies of others and their own conflicting drives.