When you see that a movie is “based on a true story,” you can usually bet that at least some of what you’re about to see is pretty far from the truth. What about when a book is “based on a true story,” but calls itself fiction? Will it be so far from the truth that it’s only a distant cousin of the real story, or will it be so barely exaggerated and elaborated that it is practically nonfiction? My guess: it’s probably a mix of both for practically every book that is “based on a true story,” and you’ll have to do the research yourself when you finish reading to separate fact from fiction.
Here are some great novels that we have which are based on a true story, and you can decide for yourself whether or not fact is stranger than fiction.
• Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
This disturbing novel is based on the true story of the 1948 kidnapping of 11-year-old Sally Horner. If you want to learn Sally’s real story, I also suggest you check out the brand new book by Sarah Weinman, The Real Lolita.
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
This ultimately hopeful novel is a fictionalized account of the wartime experience of Auschwitz prisoner Lale Sokolov, and his unexpected love story which began in the camp.
• An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris
This thrilling historical novel tells the story of the infamous treason 1894 conviction of Jewish artillery captain Alfred Dreyfus, known widely as “the Dreyfus Affair.”
• Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
Also a TV series by the same name, Alias Grace tells the story of Grace Marks, who was convicted for the murders of Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery.
So, if you’re in the mood to read something that blurs the lines between fact and fiction, check out one of the above titles!
Upcoming Programs
Kids Movie Club – Hotel Transylvania 3
Friday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m.
Count Dracula and company participate in a cruise for sea-loving monsters, unaware that their boat is being commandeered by the monster-hating Van Helsing family. The running time is 1 hour 37 minutes and the film is rated PG.
Author Reading with Peri Best
Thursday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m.
Join us for an author reading with Peri Best. Hormones and spirituality mix with quantum physics in her book Belonging – Exploring Spirituality and Healing.