The Lie

A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing & Coming Out

By: William Dameron

Narrated by: Will Damron

A candid memoir of denial, stolen identities, betrayal, faking it, and coming out.

Do you know me?, the email began, sparking tremors of fear that turned into a full quake of panic when William Dameron discovered that his selfie had been stolen by strangers. On social networks and dating sites, his image and identity - a forty-year-old straight white male - had been used to hook countless women into believing in lies of love and romance. Was it all an ironic cosmic joke? Almost a decade prior, William himself had been living a lie that had lasted for more than twenty years. His secret? He was a gay man, a fact he hid from his wife and two daughters for almost as long as he had hidden it from himself.

In this emotional and unflinchingly honest memoir of coming out of the closet late in life, owning up to the past, and facing the future, William Dameron confronts steroid addiction, the shame and homophobia of his childhood, the sledgehammer of secrets that slowly tore his marriage apart, and his love for a gay father of three that would once again challenge the boundaries of trust. At the true heart of The Lie is a universal story about turning self-doubt into self-acceptance and about pain, anger, and the long journey of both seeking and giving forgiveness.

©2019 by William Dameron. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Though the subject matter is serious and often painful, [Will] Damron’s warm tone emphasizes the hope at the heart of the narrative. Listeners will be comforted by the light touch and gentle humor he brings to this audiobook, even as they empathize with the pain and regret so apparent in his voice.” - AudioFile Magazine

“Compelling…Darkly animated…Tamps down the tall grass of untold experience.” - New York Times

“Candid and compassionate, the book celebrates truth and honors the redemptive power of forgiveness and love…Uplifting.” - Kirkus Reviews

Beautiful, heart-wrenching, and full of hope

This is the first memoir I've listened to on audiobook and it was stunning. I cried. I laughed. William Dameron's life story and gorgeous and insightful writing took me on an incredible journey. Writing about coming out as a gay man late in life -- and with a wife and two daughters -- Dameron doesn't shy away from the hard moments. He writes with both brutal honesty and deep compassion about what this meant for him and his family. The pain lying to himself and about himself caused -- but also the way that owning and living a new truth ultimately created even stronger family bonds. Dameron's memoir takes us from lies to truth, from darkness to light in a way that is so personal and yet so universally human. This is the kind of book that sticks with you long after the last chapter.

This book is so needed!

At first, I picked this book up because the topic is so needed. We have very few coming-out stories of people who came out later on life, and who had to come out to their spouses and children. But then I was completely pulled in by the beautiful writing. Dameron describes every scene so well that it felt like I was reading a movie.

There is so much emotion in this book. I admire how much insight he gained over his his journey. I love how he strings all the different chapters together. It’s a beautiful work of art that honors all the difficult experiences he has been through. You’ll cry, and cringe, and sigh and hold your breath.

I highly recommend this book. Loved it!!

good true story

Good story, I could relate to several parts to his struggle. poignant and heart felt.

This was an interesting story

I'm not a fan of movies that one person is the writer, director and star. This book kinda proves it's the same for books. The story isn't bad even though I feel it was a tad melodramatic in parts.

If only....

...someone else had narrated this story. I felt for what the author was going through but the overly-earnest reading of nearly every passage was wrong for a story already fraught with turmoil and emotion. It ultimately felt over-acted with emphasis and sentimentality heaped on things that either did not need any or spoke for themselves. I wish the narrator had put more trust in the author's words...and in the listener.

Great Read

This book was such a great book. I enjoyed the story from beginning to the end.

Triumphant Story

A story of fear, shame, change, and acceptance. Well written, engaging performance. I highly recommend this book.

loved it!!!

I loved this book. It was so heart felt. Author has a way with his words. I could feel his pain. I'm in a similar situation and this work spoke to me. 5 stars all the way!

The Truth shall set you free!

I've seen this happen and always wondered what was the gay man thinking? I can't begin to understand the pain and devastation the spouse feels. Did he really love her? What does it feel like to realize that you've been a prop all these years? That one's life and marriage were a front for hiding that the spouse is gay?

Listening to the author's pain hurts. How does everyone heal and move on?

A great story.

Not what I thought...

I bought this as a deal of the day, not totally getting what it was about. The sample made me think it was about people stealing his identity. Anyway, overall the story was interesting & compelling, particularly when I noticed it was a memoir...I know, it clearly says it’s a memoir, but I go through a lot of audio books and I’m not into science fiction, so I tend to buy the daily deals if they aren’t that genre without looking too closely. Anyway, I think the delivery was kind of flat but I can forgive that since it was narrated by the author.

The one thing that bugged was the “in this time of Trump” comment towards the end. I was like, “huh?” This story truly felt like it could have been at any time over the last decade or 2 aside from the fact that there was gay marriage, why politicize a personal story?