Like many others, I read James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces" before it was revealed to have been a novel instead of the nonfiction memoir he claimed. Indeed, I liked the book so much that I recommended it to a friend whose sister had just been revealed to be a drug addict. As any reader coming to a book of nonfiction-in essence, a story based on truth-I found James Frey's saga of his recovery from drug addiction to be positively captivating, providing a pathway out of addiction for those who felt they were without hope.

Why then is it such a big deal that James Frey lied...not even in whole, just in certain parts of his story? Because as readers we make a solemn compact with authors that when they label a book nonfiction, we know it to be the truth. When James Frey's many embellisments were revealed on no less program than "Oprah," Oprah was not the only one who felt betrayed. What's the big deal about a few lies? The big deal is the slippery slope. How do I know as a reader which parts are made up, and which parts are real? How can I share this tale of recovery with someone else who needs help with addiction, knowing that it is, in part, made up?

James Frey not only hurt himself, he took a lot of other people down with his set of lies-his family, his prestigious editor (Nan Talese), his publisher, his reading public. It was later revealed that Frey had indeed tried to market this story first as a fiction book, albeit unsuccessfully. It was the power of the truth behind the story that made the book so important, that made publishers want to bring this book to market and the public to read it.

Today, James Frey's book, "A Million Little Pieces" is important for another reason. It will live on as a lesson throughout publishing history of deception at the heart of the nonfiction world. No one values lies, not even if they're cleverly written.

Learn more about this author, Christine Zibas.
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