This statement is false because the king demands the head of medusa to give as a gift to another person's wedding- not as a substitute for his mother.
The book "Life on the Color Line" by Gregory Howard Williams is about a boy who spent his whole young life thinking he was white, and then learned that he is part black. The title refers to the fact that he is learning how to integrate into both societies, both races.
Stubborn, crotchty, intelligent
