The Little Liar by Mitch Albom follows events during and after World War 2, starting in Greece under Nazi invasion. Moments of absolute horror are graced by moments of kindness and courage.
There are four main characters and the narrator is Truth. Characters are brothers Sebastian and Nico, their friend Fannie, and Nazi Udo Graf. Their lives intersect and impact one another in different ways throughout the story.
Young Nico is separated from his family when he hides during their evacuation. Udo Graf is the ruthless Nazi in control who moves into Nico’s home. He uses Nico’s honesty to help his cause by having him assure his fellow Jewish people that boarding the trains (destined for concentration camps) will bring everyone back together to a safe, fresh start.
Sebastian resents his brother for staying behind. While on the train, he volunteers Fannie (his childhood crush) to be thrown off as an escape. This sets her on a completely different path.
Each character is in a unique but troubling situation. Sebastian is with his family (father and grandfather) at Auschwitz, Nico is constantly on the move and living a life of lies to survive, and Fannie finds refuge in unexpected ways.
Fannie and Sebastian find each other after the war. Eventually, all characters become reunited during a day meant to commemorate the Jewish people from Greece who lost their lives. Of course, I’m skipping the numerous moments that transpire between for the sake of keeping this brief.
This book reminded me a bit of one of my all-time favorite books, The Book Thief, due to having an omniscient narrator, strong characters and powerful messages about life/survival.
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