Micul Mincinos

Nico Krispis is eleven and has never told a lie. In 1943, the Nazis hold Salonika. A German officer uses Nico’s trust in truth against him. He vows to spare Nico’s family if the boy helps him. Nico must get local Jews to board trains heading north. He tells them they will find safe homes and work. Each day, he returns to the platform to calm his neighbours.

Then Nico sees guards force his own family onto the last train. He learns that the officer has used him. With Nico’s help, he has sent the boy’s community to their deaths. Nico vows to give up truth and live by lies.

Mitch Albom’s novel draws on a little-known story from history. It comes from the Second World War. Four linked lives unfold through the Holocaust and its concentration camps. Nico longs for others to forgive him. His older brother Sebastian seeks revenge. Fannie must choose between the brothers. Udo Graf is the Nazi officer whose lies shape their lives.

Truth itself tells this tale of family bonds, loss and survival. The novel shows how lies cause harm that lasts. It also explores how love can help people heal. The original title of this translated work is The Little Liar.