Mitch Albom
The Little Liar: A Novel
The Little Liar: A Novel
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Beloved bestselling author Mitch Albom returns with a powerful novel that moves from a coastal Greek city during the Holocaust, to America, where the intertwined lives of three survivors are forever changed by the perils of deception and the grace of redemption.
Eleven-year-old Nico Krispis never told a lie. When the Nazi’s invade his home in Salonika, Greece, the trustworthy boy is discovered by a German officer, who offers him a chance to save his family. All Nico has to do is convince his fellow Jewish residents to board trains heading to “new homes” where they are promised jobs and safety. Unaware that this is all a cruel ruse, the innocent boy goes to the station platform every day and reassures the passengers that the journey is safe. But when the final train is at the station, Nico sees his family being loaded into a large boxcar crowded with other neighbors. Only after it is too late does Nico discover that he helped send the people he loved—and all the others—to their doom at Auschwitz.
Nico never tells the truth again.
In The Little Liar, his first novel set during the Holocaust, Mitch Albom interweaves the stories of Nico, his brother Sebastian, and their schoolmate Fanni, who miraculously survive the death camps and spend years searching for Nico, who has become a pathological liar, and the Nazi officer who radically changed their lives. As the decades pass, Albom reveals the consequences of what they said, did, and endured.
A moving parable that explores honesty, survival, revenge and devotion, The Little Liar is Mitch Albom at his very best. Narrated by the voice of Truth itself, it is a timeless story about the harm we inflict with our deceits, and the power of love to ultimately redeem us.
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Mitch Albom is the author of numerous books of fiction and nonfiction, which have collectively sold more than forty million copies in forty-seven languages worldwide. He has written seven number-one New York Times bestsellers – includingTuesdays with Morrie, the bestselling memoir of all time, which topped the list for four straight years – award-winning TV films, stage plays, screenplays, a nationally syndicated newspaper column, and a musical.
Through his work at the Detroit Free Press, he was inducted into both the National Sports Media Association and Michigan Sports halls of fame and is the recipient of the 2010 Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement. After bestselling memoir Finding Chika and “Human Touch,” the weekly serial written and published online in real-time to raise funds for pandemic relief, his latest work is a return to fiction with The Stranger in the Lifeboat (Harper, November 2021). He founded and oversees SAY Detroit, a consortium of nine different charitable operations in his hometown, including a nonprofit dessert shop and food product line to fund programs for Detroit’s most underserved citizens. He also operates an orphanage in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, which he visits monthly. He lives with his wife, Janine, in Michigan. Learn more at www.mitchalbom.com, www.saydetroit.org, and www.havefaithaiti.org.
Product details
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Publication
Harper
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Author
Mitch Albom
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Language
Lexile:
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Pages
352
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ISBN-13
978-0062406651
I've been a fan of Mitch Albom since "Tuesday's With Morrie," and this latest book of his is hands down the best. It explores the theme of lies and how they impact people's lives, revealing our inclination to deceive for personal gain. The portrayal of Nazi atrocities in a Greek village during WWII offers a fresh perspective not often found in historical literature. The narrative is not only engaging but also thought-provoking, shedding light on the struggles of Greek Jews and emphasizing the importance of communication for forgiveness. Mitch Albom and his team have crafted an exceptional piece that I couldn't put down.
The fast delivery and inclusion of lovely bookmarks were a nice touch.
This book, much like Albom's previous works, provides unique insights into harrowing experiences, making it a compelling read.
Truth never fails...
In Mitch Albom's poignant narrative, Truth stands unwavering. This historical lesson unfolds a tale of love's triumph and the destructive force of hatred. The characters, powerful and evocative, immerse readers in the horrors of humanity and the atrocities that seek to annihilate mankind.
Centered around two brothers, Sebastian and Nico, residing in Greece, and their friend Frannie, the story navigates the intricacies of love amidst the impending war. As the Germans invade, Udo Graf becomes the embodiment of hatred and evil, casting their once-quiet community into a nightmare.
The narrative delves into the harrowing reality of Auschwitz, portraying the destruction and inhumanity suffered by the Jewish people. Post-war, the lives of these characters intersect in a scenario uniquely crafted by Albom. The story resonates with readers of all ages, serving as a testament to the importance of remembering the horrors of war. Albom skillfully ensures that the history of this tragedy remains vivid, for to forget is to conceal the Truth forever.
A heartfelt thank you to Mitch Albom for creating a narrative that not only allows us to remember but also emphasizes that hate, love, and truth never fade away. An incredible and powerful story that serves as a reminder for generations to come.
Rarely do I read fiction, and completing a work of fiction is an even rarer occurrence. Nevertheless, I managed to finish "The Little Liar" and found it to be quite interesting. Mitch Albom constructs his narrative around four primary characters, tracing their lives from childhood, with three being children – two boys and a girl – while the fourth is an adult member of Hitler's Third Reich. The storyline seamlessly shifts between these characters, with "the little liar," Nico, standing out. Nico, known for his truthfulness, becomes entangled in a web of deception as he unwittingly misleads individuals being transported to their deaths in concentration camps.
The parallels drawn between historical events and contemporary issues, like the transportation of immigrants for labor, add a thought-provoking layer to the narrative. It appears that Mitch Albom aims to impart life lessons on honesty and love as the story unfolds. Nico's acknowledgment of the fleeting experience of love with Fannie, though brief, resonates deeply.
While I may not grasp the full depth of the book, being a relatively inexperienced fiction reader, I do appreciate Mitch Albom's endeavor to convey meaningful lessons about life through his storytelling.
Certainly, I would have delved into this novel regardless, given my admiration for Mitch Albom's writing and body of work. Here, the narrator takes the form of Truth.
The backdrop for much of the narrative unfolds in Saloniki, Greece—a place I've yet to explore, although I've heard fragments about it from occasional tales shared by my aunt Janine. She was born in Saloniki and married my late uncle, who served in the British army there during World War II. What she hadn't disclosed to me, until I stumbled upon a detailed interview she gave to the Imperial War Museum in London, is that her entire family had endured nearly two years in hiding in Saloniki. According to her, they were the sole Jewish family to survive that period and return to Saloniki intact. Albom's novel features a scene where a survivor from Auschwitz revisits his family home, only to encounter a local claiming to have purchased the property from a Nazi.
The narrative centers around three Jewish children and a Nazi officer, adhering to Mitch Albom's characteristic style with a moral core. This time, the moral emanates from the repercussions of lying—how a lie, even if unwittingly spoken, can unleash far-reaching consequences across the years and around the globe.
This literary piece is an absolute powerhouse—daunting, mesmerizing, and utterly irresistible. Initially hesitant about delving into another Holocaust narrative due to my extensive reading in the genre, this book, however, shattered my expectations. Despite feeling somewhat desensitized to the horrors portrayed, the importance of revisiting and discussing such historical events becomes increasingly evident. The narrative, woven around four central characters, gracefully navigates through their lives, intertwining them into a shared tapestry. Mitch Albom's writing style is nothing short of magnificent, effortlessly captivating the reader. This is unequivocally a must-read for all.