Fiction is more beautiful than reality . . .

. . . at least when it comes to escaping the Nazis.

This story from the New York Times tells of the von Trapp family (of Sound of Music fame), which is now in its third generation of operating a ski lodge in Vermont. Like any other family, the von Trapps have had their share of happiness as well as disputes.

Also from the Times, a soon-to-be-released memoir was revealed to be a fabrication. In the "memoir," the author claimed he survived a Nazi concentration camp in his childhood and then grew up to meet and marry the girl who showed him kindness by throwing apples to him over the camp fence.

The fiction of both stories is beautiful like a fairy tale, but, unfortunately, true-life inspirational stories are exceptionally rare.

(Photo by Emi Yañez; used by permission.)