A True Story Based On Lies

A True Story Based on Lies is a remarkable and original novel that addresses the universal issues of class discrimination, male oppression and female servitude through dual narratives of spellbinding power. Set in contemporary Mexico, the book charts the consequences of a sexual relationship between Leonora, a servant in the wealthy O’Connor home, and her master. When a child, Aura Olivia, is born from this union she is brought up as the daughter of the house. As the novel unfolds, the ‘true’ story gradually emerges.

Reviews of A True Story Based On Lies

This bold and innovative novel. . . is a persuasive construction of the consciousness of a young woman wronged by the class system . . . superbly drawn. * * Times Literary Supplement * * You would be forgiven for mistaking Clement's first novel for a book of poetry, such is its lyricism and lightness of touch; yet what we are given here is a narrative that not only pays tribute to Clement's background as a poet, but uses the tricks of the mast storyteller to delight and engross. Clement's simple lilting prose poetry belies a dark complexity hidden below the surface and draws the reader on to the book's chilling conclusion. * * The Times * * This is an unusual and graceful book that, in beautiful and precise prose, tells of unimaginable human suffering and manages, in an unexpected climax, to suggest at least the possibility of redemption. * * New Internationalist * * A lyrically told, deeply moving tale. * * Sunday Tribune * * The unfolding emotional and physical complications are fraught with trauma, which the writer's particular style heightens into an emotionally wracking story. * * Big Issue * *