The Stranger in the Woods

October 24, 2016
On a summer morning in 1986, 20-year-old Christopher Knight didn’t show up for his job installing alarm systems in Waltham, Mass. Nearly three decades passed before he reappeared and revealed he’d spent most of that time camping in the woods of central Maine. In this fascinating account of Knight’s renunciation of humanity, Finkel (True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa) struggles to comprehend the impulses that led Knight to court death by hypothermia even though his family home was less than an hour’s drive away. To survive, Knight relentlessly pilfered supplies from vacation houses around his campsite, infuriating and terrifying homeowners and baffling a generation of cops. Finally apprehended during one of his raids, the “Hermit of North Pond” battled depression and contemplated suicide as he was forced to rejoin society. Drawn by the details that followed Knight’s arrest, Finkel reached out to him through letters and visits. Despite frequent rebuffs, enough of a relationship developed for Finkel to broadly outline Knight’s wilderness solitude. A fellow outdoorsman, Finkel places Knight in the long tradition of hermits, a category that has been admired and distrusted over the centuries. Yet even as Finkel immerses himself in Knight’s life—researching hermits, consulting psychologists, even camping at Knight’s hideaway—his subject’s motivations remain obscure, leaving the book somehow incomplete. The book doesn’t penetrate the mystery of Knight’s renunciation, but the questions it raises remain deeply compelling.

June 1, 2017

Christopher Knight lived for 27 years in the woods of Maine with almost no human interaction, surviving by pilfering food and supplies. Opening with the account of how Knight was captured by an ex-marine after stealing from a local camp, this book begins on an exciting note, though the pace slows as Finkel weaves in research about the science of isolation along with an exploration of the philosophical and nature writing that might lead someone like Knight to seek seclusion. An extension of Finkel's 2014 GQ article "The Strange & Curious Tale of the Last True Hermit," this title goes into detail about the lengths to which Knight went in order to stay alive. Teens who are drawn to survival stories will appreciate reading about the harsh conditions Knight faced, including freezing weather, isolation, and lack of food, and the problem-solving skills on which he had to rely. This introspective look at the hermit life throughout time focuses on the ethical issues involved in one man's attempt to break free of society. VERDICT Hand this volume to mature and thoughtful teens who love Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild or are interested in philosophy, science, or nature.-Carrie Shaurette, Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, NJ

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2017
Finkel's True Story (2005) mixed journalism and memoir and was made into a movie in 2015. Here, Finkel investigates Christopher Knight, who in 1986, at 20, walked into the woods of central Maine and stayed for 27 years. Knight maintained a strict moral code yet sustained himself by repeatedly burglarizing lake cottages and a nearby summer camp. He took only what he needed and shocked police with his crime-scene neatness and repair of the doors and windows he jimmied open. Aside from nearly deadly winters, Knight led an easy life in the woods, reading, listening to radio, and even enjoying a five-inch TV. Upon capture and incarceration, he became depressed, which, when he was set free, worsened as he struggled to reassimilate. Most clinicians doubt that Knight's hermit behavior was due to a medical condition, and he seems stable at the book's end. Some people empathize with Knight, but many cottage owners in his crime zone suffered understandable trauma. Big-budget promotion and the intriguingly unusual subject should create strong demand.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

November 1, 2016

In 1986, at age 26, Christopher Knight disappeared into the Maine woods and didn't speak to a living soul for nearly three decades. He survived by his wits--and by breaking into nearby homes for food, clothing, and reading material. Finkel, whose GQ piece, "The Strange & Curious Tale of the Last True Hermit" (Aug. 2014), won extraordinary attention, explains how Knight managed. With a 100,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2016

Journalist and memoirist Finkel (True Story) presents the strangely fascinating tale of modern-day hermit Christopher Knight, who spent 27 years living in a hidden tent in the frigid central Maine woods. In 1986, then 20-year-old Knight disappeared. He was not seen again until 2013, when he was arrested for theft. Knight later admitted to stealing food and other supplies frequently from frustrated locals, who dealt with years of repeated break-ins. Through interviews and other reporting with Knight and area residents, Finkel examines the solitary life story and unusual survival strategies of the mysterious figure known locally as the North Pond Hermit. Perhaps fittingly, this unsettling and thought-provoking work raises far more questions than answers. Finkel delves into thorny issues such as Knight's potential mental state, the truth of his claims (which are disputed by locals), and the deeper meaning of solitude, individuality, and personal freedom. The resulting tale is gripping but often unverifiable; readers will have to judge for themselves the veracity and ethics of both Knight's story and Finkel's reporting of it. VERDICT With inevitable comparisons to Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, this book will appeal to recreational readers interested in outdoor adventure, survival stories, or escaping the mainstream.--Ingrid Levin, Salve Regina Univ. Lib., Newport, RI

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.