"Novel without fiction" tells the story of Holocaust imposter

Here’s a tagline we haven’t seen for a book before: “a novel without fiction.”

That’s how author Javier Cercas describes The Imposter, which tells the true story of a Spanish man who falsely claimed to be a Holocaust survivor and a resistance fighter against the Franco regime.

Enric Marco’s deception was unveiled after nearly two decades, in 2005, and Cercas found himself fascinated with the saga.

Ultimately, he set out to tell Marco’s real story and explain why he lied.

Cercas discussed the result of that quest, The Imposter, with All Things Considered’s Ari Shapiro recently.

You can listen to the interview below or read highlights from it on NPR’s website.