Autobiographies

Maybe that should be Oughtobiographies since some are lies. Frank McCourt, who has recently died, was accused of this sort of thing - making it up instead of telling the truth - with his most famous novel (or is it a biography? Haven't read it myself) "Angela's Ashes". He strongly defended himself against the accusation.
I wrote a novel called "Looking Back" - never published though my agent at the time said it "was close" - which told the story of 3 brothers living in the early 20th Century. Publishers to whom I sent it all wanted to know if it was true, that is, if it was my autobiography. I'd have had to have been about 80 for it to be autobiographical and I hadn't reached that age then. But I am sure that if I had untruthfully said that it was my story, someone would have published it. I'd have been famous then and possibly rich too.... and would have been found out as a fraud and unable to show my face in public.
The author of "Roots" was "found out" I believe. He said it was about his descendants but someone proved it wasn't. Then there's the New York journalist working for one of the big newspapers who was "found out": he was writing "I was there" stories but he wasn't there; he was sitting in his New York apartment writing fiction not fact.
Actually, my novel is probably closer to the truth than most of those who have been "found out" since the various stories in it were told me by my father who did live through that period. So perhaps I could have said to the publisher who was interested "well yes it is true..... but it didn't happen to me."