Colors of Truth

by Paula Paul

Colors of Truth follows the stories of Caroline and Pearlie, two teenage girls growing up in Texas in the 1950s. Though both girls are the same age and growing up in the same town, their lives are very different. Caroline is a white girl, living on a farm with her parents and younger brother and sister. Pearlie is a black girl, living with her parents and siblings. She attends a different school than Caroline, though they do ride the same bus to their schools. She and her family also work in the cotton fields in Caroline's family's farm in the summer. With alternating narrative voices, the reader learns about the events of one summer, when Caroline and Pearlie's lives become intertwined.

229 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2021

About the author

Paula Paul writes novels that touch the heart and challenge the mind. She has published 25 novels, some with major New York publishers and some with small presses. They include historical fiction, mysteries, YA and literary novels.

She is a native of Texas. She wasn't really born in Lubbock, as her profile info states. She was actually born outside of Lubbock on her grandparents' farm. She grew up on a ranch about 80 miles from where she was born and attended a country school where she graduated as valedictorian.

She has a degree in journalism and worked for several years as a print journalist, winning a number of state and national awards. She has also won national awards for her novels.

Reviews

[Shari Slaughter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an Awesome read love the characters kept me on edge. I give it a 4.5 stars. I thought the ending could of been better. But overall it was a good read.

[Linda Surritte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Takes place in the 1950's which is when I grew up. It brought me back to when 'colored' was the appropriate terminology for Negroes. When I first heard them referred to as 'Black' in my personal life, I thought that sounded disrespectful but that is appropriate now. This prompted me to do more research about historical racial terminology. Anyway, back to this book, it was a good story with interesting characters.

[Vicki Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional read!

This book held my attention from start to finish. In fact, I read it in a day! I loved the characters and reading about Caroline’s awakening to the evil in her community and country. Her sense of outrage as she realizes the happenings in the war and sees the racism in her own community propels her to act in ways that she never thought possible.

[Michele Yett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could be the most juvenile writing I’ve ever read. The main topics in the book were completely ignored and talked about in such a brief manor. There was maybe a page long written about a young black girl who gets an abortion with a coat hanger from being raped by a nasty white man. Just one of many heavy topics that were touched on very lightly. Last chapter of the book (60 years later, shocking) literally answers the question at the main characters 80th bday of who murdered this nasty white man. All at a bday party? Even more details come to light at this bday party that I won’t blab on about. Crammed into 1 chapter, more like a couple of pages.
I could go on for days with all the awful writing examples. Not saying that I’m well spoken, but I’m also not writing novels.
One of the most disappointing books I’ve ever read. Such a heavy topic that could have been more impactful but literally missed the mark.
I’m still annoyed by this book, I should have not commented until I calmed down:)
I’m changing my review from 2 stars to 1 bc now I’m all fired up again talking about it!

[Julie Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very difficult book to read because of the language used and for what happened, and how America was in the 1950s. With that being said, I enjoyed reading this book which centers on Caroline, Dotty, Pearlie, their families, and the people living in a Texas town. No spoiler alerts here, but I did have tears in my eyes by the unexpected ending.

[Darla Betts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colors of Truth is a moving and deeply resonant coming-of-age story set in 1950s Texas, a time and place still divided by race and circumstance. Through the alternating voices of Caroline, a white farm girl, and Pearlie, a Black teenager whose family labors on Caroline’s family farm, the novel paints a vivid picture of two parallel lives shaped by the same town but very different realities.

[Mercy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colors of Truth is a beautifully written coming-of-age novel that captures both the innocence and the harsh realities of growing up in 1950s Texas. Through the alternating voices of Caroline, a white farm girl, and Pearlie, a Black teenager whose family works the same land, the story explores friendship, family, and the weight of societal divisions.

[Alison Carter]

Colors of Truth is a moving and beautifully written coming-of-age story that captures both the innocence and the harsh realities of growing up in 1950s Texas. Through the alternating voices of Caroline and Pearlie, two teenage girls whose lives could not be more different, the novel paints a vivid picture of friendship, identity, and the weight of societal expectations.

[Boluwatife]

Colors of Truth is a moving and thought-provoking novel that captures both the innocence of youth and the painful realities of growing up in 1950s Texas. Through the alternating perspectives of Caroline, a white farm girl, and Pearlie, a Black girl whose family works in the cotton fields of Caroline’s farm, the story explores friendship, identity, and the stark divisions of race and class.

[Adebayo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colors of Truth is a heartfelt and thought-provoking story that captures both the innocence of youth and the weight of societal divisions in 1950s Texas. Through the alternating voices of Caroline, a white farm girl, and Pearlie, a Black teenager whose family works the same fields, the novel paints a vivid picture of two lives shaped by both proximity and separation.

[Charlotte Hayes]

Colors of Truth is more than a coming-of-age story; it’s a meditation on identity, justice, and empathy. Readers will be left reflecting on how far society has come, and how far it still has to go. Moving, honest, and beautifully told, it’s a novel that lingers in the mind long after the last page.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a hard book to read. The language is disturbing, but it was true to the times and location. It kept my interest. There were certainly some twists and turns. I'm glad that they were people and that location and era who questioned what was considered the norm.

[Faith F.Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

We need to love us all...

In the past nearly 75 years ago, black people were treated horribly by whites. This is a small farm land in Texas where they are not allowed in any public or recreational areas specifically for whites.

[Howard Grewe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book about loss of innocence

Good book about the loss of innocence of a young woman in West Texas in the 1950s. Unexpected twists and turns.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking and interesting book. It kept me turning pages to see what would happen next. Well written and wonderful!