Many people dream of escaping modern life, but most will never act on it. This is the remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, making this dream a reality not out of anger at the world, but simply because he preferred to live on his own.
In 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life why did he leave? what did he learn? as well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.
Published on: 2017-03-07
Released on: 2017-03-07
Format: Deckle Edge
Original language: English
Dimensions: 8.60" h x .90" w x 5.90" l, .83 pounds
Binding: Hardcover
224 pages
Review
"Michael Finkel has somehow found a story that takes the two primary human relationships to nature and to one another and deftly upends our assumptions about both. This was a breathtaking book to read and many weeks later I am still thinking about the implications for our society and by extension for my own life."
- Sebastian Junger, author of Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging
"A gripping parable... Profound… Michael Finkel has done something magical… His investigation runs deep, summoning not only his surprising, poignant friendship with the book’s protagonist, but also the human history of our own attempts to find meaning in a noisy world."
- Michael Paterniti, bestselling author of The Telling Room and Driving Mr. Albert
"Chris Knight is an American original, a man who kept himself hidden from all other humans for more than a quarter of a century. I burned through this haunting tale in one rapt sitting."
- John Vaillant, bestselling author of The Tiger and The Golden Spruce
"[A] surprising page-turner... Finkel's voice in this fresh new chronicle is clean, clear, lucid his attention fair and compassionate."
- Lawrence Weschler, author of Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder and Waves Passing in the Night: Walter Murch in the Land of the Astrophysicists
"A wry meditation on one man's attempt to escape life's distractions and look inwards, to find meaning not by doing, but by being."
- Martin Sixsmith, author of Philomena
"Engrossing… A tightly written, compelling narrative… Thought-provoking and enduring, one that will leave readers thinking deeply about modern society, the search for meaning and the impact of solitude."
- Stephanie Bouchard, Portland Press Herald
"[A] fascinating account of Knight's renunciation of humanity… Deeply compelling."
- Publishers Weekly
"Riveting… A stunning look inside at the life and inner thoughts of one of our era’s most confounding characters."
- John Holyoke, Bangor Daily News
"Vivid and clear… A fine exploration of the mysterious life of a hermit."
- Laurie Hertzel, Star Tribune
"Compelling… Finkel’s telling of this story is remarkable."
- Sarah Walker Caron, Bangor Daily News
"Richly detailed… A book worth reading… [A] stunning account of one man’s obsessive withdrawal from society. The Stranger in the Woods is, ultimately, a meditation on the pains of social obligation and the longing toward retreat that resides in us all."
- Michael Harris, Toronto Globe and Mail
"[The Stranger in the Woods] is partly about what it means to be a hermit: Tactically, practically, psychologically. But Finkel’s book is also about what we want from hermits why we’re endlessly fascinated by them, and why we’re just as often frustrated by them."
- Colin Dickey, the New Republic
"Campfire-friendly and thermos-ready, easily drained in one warm, rummy slug… Raises a variety of profound questions about the role of solitude, about the value of suffering, about the diversity of human needs."
- Jennifer Senior, The New York Times
"Thought-provoking… Well researched and compassionate… Finkel’s account artfully blends the details of Knight’s childhood, how he survived in the woods, his legal proceedings and his eventual uneasy return to society, along with informative descriptions of various hermits throughout history and their motivations."
- Alice Cary, BookPage’s “Nonfiction Top Pick”
About the Author
MICHAEL FINKEL is the author of True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa, which was adapted into a 2015 major motion picture. He has written for National Geographic, GQ, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, and The New York Times Magazine. He lives in western Montana.
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