Publisher wants judgment reversed on phony book

BOSTON (AP) — The publisher of a phony book about surviving the Holocaust is hoping to win reversal of a judgment against her in favor of the author.

Publisher Jane Daniel says she, the public and the courts were all victims of a hoax. A court hearing is set for Thursday in Massachusetts.

A woman named Misha Defonseca wrote a book about her supposed tortured childhood under the Nazis. But after a researcher found inconsistencies, Defonseca admitted this year that she did not live with wolves to escape the Nazis, did not kill a German soldier in self defense, and did not walk 3,000 miles across Europe. She even acknowledged she’s not Jewish.

Seven years ago, long before the truth came out, Defonseca and her ghost writer won a $32.5-million lawsuit against Daniel for breach of contract. Daniel now wants that set aside, saying the contract stipulated the story was true.

Defonseca and her ghost writer say the truth had no bearing on the jury’s finding that they were cheated.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.


Source:

www.kdbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=8898278&nav=menu608_1
Associated Press — August 25, 2008 7:43 PM ET