Five must-read books based on true stories

While many authors take inspiration from real events to write a book, others base it on them wholly. Some real-life incidents are so happening and intriguing in themselves, that no amount of fantasy or fiction could add more zest to them. When such incidents form the plot of a book, it's an absolute delight for the readers. Thus, here is a look at 5 must-read books based on true stories.

While everyone knows Shakespeare, almost no information is available on Agnes, his wife. This novel fictionalizes the couple but is based on their relationship and grief after the death of their 11-year-old son - Hamnet. All in all, it is a story of the bond between twins, and of marriage pushed to the brink by grief.

Pic credit: Tinder Press

The novel is based on the history of a real reform school in Florida that operated for one hundred and eleven years and warped and destroyed the lives of thousands of children. It follows two boys sent to an abusive juvenile reformatory in the Jim Crow South. The novel even won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

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The book is based loosely on the true story of Josef Fritzl, an Austrian man who kept his daughter in his basement for 24 years. The story is told from the perspective of a five-year-old boy, Jack, who is being held captive in a small room along with his mother. Donoghue conceived the story after hearing about five-year-old Felix in the Fritzl case.

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The book focuses on Evie Boyd, a teenager in 1960s Northern California who falls prey to an infamous cult, which includes young women and their mysterious male leader. The cult in question is based on the Manson family, whose members infamously murdered actress Sharon Tate and four others.

Pic credit: Vintage

It is a collection of linked short stories about a platoon of American soldiers fighting on the ground in the Vietnam War. Brien's third book about the war, it is based upon his experiences as a soldier in the 23rd Infantry Division.

Pic credit: Mariner Books