Truth, Fiction, or Both: The Truth to Memoir in The Distance Between Us
Reyna's memoir is heartbreaking and heavily emotionally charged. Even with that certain questions remain about the story she has told. The concept of memoir is different than an autobiography. Jane Friedman from Writer's Digest University discusses this, "When a memoirist writes, “This happened to me,” readers should be able to trust that it did. Lying about what happened violates that trust. It’s that simple" ( https://www.writersdigest.com/craft-technique/when-is-lying-in-memoir-acceptable-3-key-issues) . However, Jane also explains that memoirs are more complicated because they provide more than just details. They rely on memory and the writer's interpretation of those memories. Jane further elaborates that there are three claims that are made in relation to memoir in the following: 1. A Literary Work Is Always Fiction Why It’s True Real life is always messier than literature. It doesn’t have a tidy, narrative arc, other people are more complicated or unk...