The Wild Truth
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4.3 • 28 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER – The true story behind Jon Krakauer’s bestselling novel and Sean Penn’s acclaimed film Into the Wild, from the sister of Chris McCandless, filling in questions about Chris’ journey of self-discovery and the dysfunctional childhood that pushed him to brave the Alaskan wilderness alone
"The Wild Truth is an important book on two fronts: It sets the record straight about a story that has touched thousands of readers, and it opens up a conversation about hideous domestic violence hidden behind a mask of prosperity and propriety."–NPR.org
The spellbinding story of Chris McCandless, who gave away his savings, hitchhiked to Alaska, walked into the wilderness alone, and starved to death in 1992, fascinated not just New York Times bestselling author Jon Krakauer, but also the rest of the nation. Krakauer's book, Into the Wild, became an international bestseller, translated into thirty-one languages, and Sean Penn's inspirational film by the same name further skyrocketed Chris McCandless to global fame. But the real story of Chris’s life, and the powerful family secrets that shaped his journey, has not yet been told - until now. The missing pieces are finally revealed in The Wild Truth, written by Carine McCandless, Chris's beloved and trusted sister. Featured in both the book and film, Carine has wrestled for more than twenty years with the legacy of her brother's journey to self-discovery, and now tells her own story while filling in the blanks of his. Carine was Chris's best friend, the person with whom he had the closest bond, and who witnessed firsthand the dysfunctional and violent family dynamic that made Chris willing to embrace the harsh wilderness of Alaska. Growing up in the same troubled household, Carine speaks candidly about the deeper reality of life in the McCandless family. In the many years since the tragedy of Chris's death, Carine has searched for some kind of redemption. In this touching and deeply personal memoir about grief and healing, she reveals how she has learned that real redemption can only come from speaking the truth.
This unflinching memoir finally answers the question of why Chris McCandless went into the wild:
The Truth Behind the Legend: For the first time, discover the full story that drove Chris McCandless to leave everything behind, from the one person who knew him best.A Sister’s Story: Explore the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister who were best friends and allies against the trauma hidden within their home.Dysfunctional Family Dynamics: A candid, firsthand account of the domestic violence and abuse concealed by the facade of a perfect suburban family.A Search for Redemption: Journey with Carine through twenty years of complex grief as she fights to honor her brother’s memory by finally speaking the truth.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Twenty years ago, Jon Krakauer wrote in Into the Wild the stunning story of Chris McCandless, a young man who walked into the Alaska wilderness and starved to death. At the time, Krakauer spoke with Chris's sister, Carine, who allowed Krakauer to read Chris's letters, but asked the author not to print them. Two decades later, in this fiercely honest and gripping memoir, Carine shares many of these letters and candidly reveals the harsh and violent family in which the two grew up. The siblings' father constantly berated and physically abused his young wife, and, as young children, Chris and Carine comforted each other the best they could. "Our parents hurt us constantly, but they were our parents. We wanted to believe the warm moments showed who they genuinely were, not just another part of the show they put on." Chris eventually found freedom when he took off on his own in the year following high school graduation, and before he entered Emory his father demanded to know Chris's plans for the summer, but Chris refused, making the threats fell empty. When Chris headed off on his post-college journey, he left Carine to cope with her parents, and to stake out her own life. In the end, this is Carine's story. She honestly shares her successes and failures in work and relationships as she comes to the realization that she has tried to find in adult life what was lacking in her childhood: worth, strength, and unconditional love.
Customer Reviews
The Wild Truth
I have been haunted by the “why” of the Chris McCandless story since the movie Into the Wild came out in 2007. Unaware that Chris’s sister, Carine, wrote this book to answer my haunting question, I didn’t stumble upon it until only last week. Once I started reading, I was unable to put the book down until I finished it. Carine took me on a journey that completely answered not only my “why” to Chris’s story but also some personal “why’s” to my own story. Thank you Carine for staying committed to telling the truth for Chris ... and for me 🙏🏻
The Wild Truth
Although, as promised, it does offer a little more insight into what encouraged Chris to pursue a life less ordinary, I thought that the book primarily chronicled Carine's life of misfortunes and bad decisions.
I was hoping for more substance and factual details about a young man who followed a dream every romantic has entertained and with whom, as an avid outdoors person, I felt a connection in some way or fashion. I can't relate at all to Carine's life.