Richland Library Cooper
Shelf Indulgence Book Group
Tuesday, November 29, 2022 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Join us Tuesday, November 29, at 6:30p.m. for a discussion of The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel.
For more information or to get a copy of the book, please contact Elizabeth Barrett at (803) 787-3462.
Many people dream of escaping modern life, but most will never act on it. Told in riveting narrative, this is the remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for twenty-seven years and made this dream a reality.
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 story 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, as well as a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.
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