What are the characteristics of top books based on true stories?

Some of the well - known ones could be 'The Diary of a Young Girl' by Anne Frank. It gives a first - hand account of her life in hiding during the Holocaust. Another is 'Unbroken' by Laura Hillenbrand which tells the incredible true story of Louis Zamperini's survival during World War II. Also, 'Into the Wild' by Jon Krakauer, which follows the journey of Christopher McCandless.

'Unbroken' by Laura Hillenbrand is also highly regarded. It chronicles the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who became a prisoner of war during World War II. His story of survival, endurance, and the strength of the human spirit is truly inspiring.

One of the top books based on true stories is 'The Diary of a Young Girl' by Anne Frank. It gives a first - hand account of a young girl's life in hiding during the Holocaust. Another is 'Unbroken' by Laura Hillenbrand, which tells the incredible story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who survived the horrors of World War II. 'Into the Wild' by Jon Krakauer is also on the list. It follows the journey of Christopher McCandless who ventured into the Alaskan wilderness.

Well, 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' is a great one. It's about Henrietta Lacks, whose cells were used for medical research without her knowledge. 'A Long Way Gone' by Ishmael Beah is also in the list. It tells the true story of Beah's life as a child soldier in Sierra Leone. And don't forget 'The Glass Castle' by Jeannette Walls, which is her memoir about her rather chaotic and impoverished childhood.

One characteristic is authenticity. They offer real - life experiences and events, like in 'The Glass Castle' where Jeannette Walls shares her chaotic childhood truthfully. Another is the ability to educate. For example, books about historical events can teach us a lot about that time period.

They often have a sense of authenticity. Since they are based on real events, the settings and details tend to be more vivid and believable. For example, in 'The Devil in the White City' by Erik Larson, the descriptions of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair are so detailed that it feels like you're actually there. Another characteristic is that they can provide real - life lessons. The characters in these books face real - world problems, and readers can learn from their experiences, like in 'Just Mercy' by Bryan Stevenson where the fight for justice is a central theme.

They usually have a lot of research behind them. Authors of these books have to dig deep into police reports, interviews with witnesses and survivors, and sometimes even court transcripts. 'Helter Skelter' is a prime example. The author had to piece together a complex web of information to tell the story of the Manson Family murders accurately.

Some of the top books based on true stories are 'The Glass Castle' by Jeannette Walls. It's her memoir about growing up in a very dysfunctional family. 'Hidden Figures' by Margot Lee Shetterly is another one. It tells the story of African - American female mathematicians who worked at NASA during the Space Race. Also, 'The Boys in the Boat' by Daniel James Brown, which is about the University of Washington's rowing team that competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Definitely 'Man's Search for Meaning' by Viktor E. Frankl. It's based on his experiences in Nazi concentration camps and how he found meaning in the most extreme circumstances. Another inspiring one is 'The Power of One' by Bryce Courtenay. It's about a young boy in South Africa who overcomes great odds. And 'I Am Malala' by Malala Yousafzai, which tells of her fight for girls' education against the Taliban.

These books usually blend the known world with the unknown. They take real - life settings, like a small town or an old house, and introduce supernatural elements. For instance, a book about a haunted hospital might describe the normal hospital operations and then add in the apparitions, strange noises, and unexplained events. This contrast between the ordinary and the extraordinary makes them fascinating. They also tend to play on our fears of the unknown and the afterlife. Since they claim to be based on true stories, it makes the supernatural elements seem more plausible and thus more terrifying.