A Version of the Truth is a lyrical, wise, and mesmerizing story about love, learning, friendship, rare birds and other forces of nature. Set in the wilds of Topanga Canyon, the story is narrated by Cassie Shaw, a nature lover with innate intelligence and charm who reinvents herself with unexpected consequences.
Much like Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion, Cassie has an unhappy past and is relegated to a life beneath her, but her spirit is uplifted in the outdoors. The eerie, ghostlike call of presumed extinct birds in a secret clearing, the sound of wind in the trees, the harmony of a world without people, all give Cassie a sense of calm. But everywhere else, life is tough. Her mother believes in Big Foot. Her wisecracking but beloved African Grey parrot is a drama queen. And at age thirty, a widow without a college degree, Cassie desperately needs to earn a living, which is why, against all her principles, she lies on her resume for an office job at an elite university, making up facts about herself and creating the person she wants to be.
