Literary Works

I BELONG

Released March 2024

I BELONG is the heart wrenching sequel to WHAT LIES IN TRUTH. It is the story of Ernie who is haunted by self-doubt and a sense of abandonment as she searches for the truth about her mysterious father. Her unanswered questions create distrust and bitterness inflicting damage to her family relationships, especially the one she has with her mother. Based on a true story.

Independent Book Review

I BELONG is a poignant tale that resonates with universal understandings of identity, belonging, and the intricate web of family ties. Stricklin’s storytelling shines as she describes the emotional landscape of her characters, making them relatable and compelling. The novel is not merely a story about a family’s past, it’s a reflection on the enduring impacts of secrets on the human psyche and the challenging processes of acceptance and understanding. In the end, I BELONG is a heartfelt exploration of the intricate connection between love and secrecy as it manifests in family.

Publication and Book Signing

I BELONG is scheduled for sale on Amazon on March 1, 2024. A book signing and celebration will be held on Sunday, April 28, 2024 from 1:00 – 4:00 at the John Horsley Community Room at Island Lake, Kitsap County.

Visit the author’s blog for photos related to I BELONG

WHAT LIES IN TRUTH

Released March 2022

WHAT LIES IN TRUTH is based on the unconventional lives of the author’s grandparents.

As I grew up, I was curious about my ancestry. My grandmother shared a wealth of information about her early life and her own heritage but was elusive about my grandfather. Occasionally she gave her children and grandchildren tidbits of information. Some were facts and some were not. Grandmother told us that he’d been a Portuguese aristocrat who had escaped Portugal after fighting a losing battle to keep the Portuguese King on the throne. We learned she’d named my mother after his sister Angelica, that he’d been a traveling salesman and died from influenza on May 28, 1932, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

She always claimed the pictures she had of him had been destroyed in a flood, so we never knew what he looked like. As a child that seemed believable, but as I go older, it puzzled me because my grandmother had many pictures of herself and her three children growing up.

When I researched my roots after my second son was born, she sent me a picture of my grandfather she’d cut from a group photo and because the photo only showed his head; she had an artist draw in a suit. At the same time, she told me he’d been born in Soalheira, Portugal, on April 19, 1893, and that they had married on January 10, 1927, a year and eight days before my mother was born. On the rare occasion she spoke of him, she wore a smile, telling us he was very handsome, and he had a beautiful singing voice that both my mother and my aunt inherited.

After my grandmother’s death, we found clues to my grandfather’s true identity in the memorabilia she left behind. My Aunt Ernestine, who had long believed her mother had lied about her father, went on a quest to discover the truth. What she found stunned us all.

WHAT LIES IN TRUTH is the novelized story of my grandparents. I drew my inspiration from letters, news article, photos, documents, and family anecdotes. I have changed all names except for the first names of Henrietta, Angelica, Ernestine, and Robert. The names of towns have also been changed, except for a few Montana cities.

The Crittenton Home that existed in 1928 and still exists today gave me permission to use their actual name in my story. Click on the link for more information.

Trish Mastel Stricklin