The First President: Documented national history tells us that the nation"s first president had no children. But the oral history of the descendants of an African-American family tells a different story. The Controversy: I Cannot Tell A Lie: A Novel Based on the True Story of George Washington"s African-American Descendants is a book most adequately described by its title. Many people will believe the story of George Washington fathering an African-American son. Many more will find it impossible to accept the fact that he crossed the color line and deigned to establish an intimacy with a mulatto slave woman named Venus. Their fateful union during the era of antebellum slavery produced a son, West Ford. The Secret: As time and space distanced the Ford family from its beginnings at Mount Vernon, each generation continued to walk a precarious line, bearing the weight of their heritage and constantly battling issues of skin color, status, and identity. This extraordinary story spans five generations of family chroniclers, charged with the task of keeping their family heritage alive;and secret until now. Share the Ford family"s triumphs and tragedies; it will leave you wanting more.