His political future in ashes, an embittered Colbraith leaves for California in 1848, hell-bent on revenge and determined to become the first United States Senator when California becomes a state. Nothing will stop him. From birth Mary Ellen faces three strikes in life in the 1800s: she is partly black, a slave and a woman. Born on a plantation in Georgia she ultimately! gains her freedom but finds that freedom is illusory. She, too, ends up in San Francisco determined to make a new life for herself and to achieve true freedom – economic power. Like Colbraith, nothing will stop her. San Francisco in early 1849 is a small town just in the grip of inconceivable growth and turmoil, all arising from the discovery of gold. Money flows with abandon. Lawlessness is the only order. The only remnant of government is the prior Mexican council. Mary Ellen and Colbraith find themselves mired in this teeming and unpredictable caldron. Still, they embark on their adventure filled with promise. There are no rules. Anything is possible. However, there is a price for success and the question they face is whether the price is too steep. Pale Truth is the story of Mary Ellen, Colbraith and many other historical characters who were prominent in the growth of San Francisco and California. Forty-one original illustrations, a timeline, an afterword, and a massive bibliography define the historical accuracy and authenticity of this epic novel.
In addition Pale Truth was selected in 2001 for ForeWord Magazine's General Fiction Book of the Year Award.
