This is brilliant. I’m also a suspicious person, but it’s easy to go along with things in the interest of social harmony. We once had a PhD student who was clearly a fantasist visit our field-site (I’m a zoologist), and we all nodded along, “oooh, how amazing!” to things that were clearly ludicrous in retrospect—it made me realise how little he actually had to do to deceive, as the rest of us were all so intent on upholding the social contract and ensuring smooth and polite conversation etc (which is even more crucial when you’re all stuck together 24-7 at a remote fieldsite). Privately, we all had this sense of something being a bit off, but noone felt they could say anything at the time. After he left, he created this website, claiming our fieldsite and research as his own. I had a fit, as our permission to study there obviously didn’t include him, and it put our research in jeopardy. I phoned the Dean of his faculty and after I’d explained the situation, he groaned and said ‘oh God, not again…..”. Amazing. It’s why I’m sceptical of the way psychopaths are always portrayed as Machiavellian geniuses— we normal people are doing at least half the work for them, by dint of not being psychopaths and adhering to the social niceties!
I did read the book and the subsequent 2 books, but I was very suspicious of Moth/Tim walking such difficult terrain in Scotland whilst being so unwell (Book 3). I'll buy Stone Land and can also highly recommend One Woman Walks Europe by Ursula Martin. Ursula is an amazing woman and a beautiful writer too. She's currently walking the length of the UK as a book tour to promote this book...it won't sell millions, but it deserves to!
Brilliant piece. I read The Salt Path a few years ago and had my doubts then. I have a chronic illness so I have big problems with the "have you tried walking or this X natural remedy" brigade and I feel so angry that Raynor/Sally has likely added to that unhelpful noise. I remember one scene in the book where they were offered social housing and the way Raynor acted like it was beneath her left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't continue with the other books.
Well said. I read the book and hated it, mainly Raynor’s ‘poor me’ tone of voice - and couldn’t understand why they had no one to turn to, eg adult kids, siblings. So I was unpleasantly gratified to learn they were wrong ‘uns all along. The irony is they could still have told the ‘true’ story of their spiritual journey without starting with all the lies! It could have been ‘we started off from a bad place’ without the details. It’s so cynical and sad.
The Electricity of Every Living Thing by Katherine May is a gorgeous book about the south west coastal path and how she discovers herself. As another recommendation
Great piece! I too am a suspicious person, but not for one second did I suspect Raynor W, and the reason I didn’t is quite interesting. In 2019, I did a gig at a literary festival in Rye. My accommodation was with one of the festival organisers, in a beautiful house with a stunning garden - but I couldn’t properly enjoy either because I was in the middle of a war with my son school (in which I believe they were treating him appallingly, and I was regularly going to battle on his behalf, et cetera, et cetera, and this happened to be slap bang in the middle of one of those battles.)
My hosts were so lovely, and so was their house, and I did start to feel a little bit better shortly after getting there - and then, in walked Raynor Winn, who also had a festival event and who was being put up at the same house as me. I had no idea who she was, and knew nothing about her book or life experiences, and she and I were only in the same room for about 15 minutes if that, before she went upstairs to shower and settle in to her room.
During that time, she said nothing to me other than ‘hello nice to meet you’, and mainly chatted to our hosts, but… my immediate thought, based on what felt like absolutely nothing whatsoever, was, ‘This woman is awful. I cannot bear her. If she stays in this room and talks for much longer, I’m going to have to go somewhere else.’ Thankfully, she soon went off to her room to rest or get changed or whatever, and I restrained my urge to say to our host, ‘Who on earth is that dreadful person?’ I quietly googled her and when I found out about her book, and what she and her husband had been through, I felt terribly guilty for instantly disliking her for no good reason. As a result, literally every time I’ve heard about her or her book since then - until the big reveal, that is - I’ve felt really guilty and thought, ‘Ugh, remember that time I took against a poor woman who been through a terrible ordeal, for no good reason whatsoever.’ I was even quite interested in the sound of the book, but never read it because it reminded me of what an unreasonable cow I’d been. As I say, at the time it felt like I had literally no good reason for thinking badly of her at all - but I had such a strong sense of, ‘She’s awful - I have to get out of here unless she does first.’
Interestingly, I have this very same feeling now, and have done for some time, about someone who is extremely prominent in the UK publishing industry - and on this occasion I have plenty of good reasons for feeling this way - involving many lies. But I still feel guilty, or would do, if I mentioned it. I’d still think I was to blame if anyone thought they were a rotter or a liar. Madness!! Or maybe not. I genuinely don’t know what I think about the ethics of warning people about other people.
You were right before in a similar situation S... And I love this. It's proper chills. It's a very Christie moment, that someone thinks something bad is in the room, that! I think maybe the novelist in us has a 6th sense about people or at least I notice it more at times than others do. I have been right about wrong 'uns before when friends have said 'what are you talking about' etc. (To be clear, I am wrong about almost everything else. Literally everything else.)
I have learned never to ignore a gut feeling like that; if I'm not in any danger and it's just a social situation, I will obviously not respond with rudeness or unnecessary impoliteness, but I will tuck that thought away in my mind and not feel guilty that I've thought it. Because I've learned that these gut feelings do come from somewhere, and do come from a truthful place. And then, if I see that person again or end up having to work with them or socialise with them often, I will proceed with caution with them, and not jump into a friendship with them, and just, basically, be on my guard. And often, more comes out about them, or I find other people are also uncomfortable around them, and I realise my first gut feeling is vindicated.
We read it in our book group but I had also bought a copy for a friend who was walking the Coast Path with her husband at weekends but he suddenly passed before they completed it. After reading it myself, I wished I hadn’t gifted it.
It made me SO angry. The loss of their house - not enough detail for sure. Glossed over. Then to effectively steal their way around the West Country. Small businesses supplementing their journey in effect, creeping into campsites after dark ? That’s not resourceful nor wild camping it’s theft which now makes sense. We live in a rural area with a strong tourist and farming economy - the reading group felt pretty much the same way. No respect for the landowners nor cafe and shop owners. Only one (of twelve) found it inspirational. All makes sense now.
That’s really interesting and I’m so sorry about your friend’s husband. In general people who are really devoted to the landscape are too busy to write books so I know what you mean! X
My mum loved The Salt Path and tried to persuade me to read it. Now I realise that she was actually very ill herself when she read it and that it helped her. I’m glad she didn’t find out it was probably a sham. I took one look at it and was strangely repulsed. Raynor "gave me the ick" it seemed really off and I couldn’t put my finger on it so I vaguely told mum I’d get round to it and talked to her about other books instead. It’s a shame she didn’t just publish it as fiction. I would recommend Waterlog by Roger Deakin and Nature Cure by Richard Mabey to anyone looking for thoughtful books on nature and how people connect, particularly in times of personal strife.
I LOVE Roger Deakin, haven't read that, thank you so much, and the Richard mabey sounds 100% up my street. I really appreciate this. Thank you. I am sorry to hear about your mum and I'm really glad the book helped her. That's v interesting about your reaction. Thank you again nancy.
I read the book when it first came out and I adored it..but…I didn’t really buy the explanation of how they lost their house, and felt the missing detail was likely more about how financially stupid and naive they’d been. So I thought ‘you’ve only got yourself to blame’. Then checked myself for being judgmental and mean, because we all make mistakes…and hindsight a wonderful thing.
I know sections of the path well, and am an experienced distance hiker, but found her descriptions oddly lacking. I was almost disappointed not to recognise my favourite parts of the path, but just put that down to how we each interpret our surroundings.
When I read later books, esp the last one, I started to think, how odd it was, these supposedly by now experienced distance hikers still seem to be clueless. They make such daft choices. I started to really feel something was off, but decided they were just feckless.
So of course on seeing the Observers revelations I’m not only feeling cheated, I’m also wondering how much walking they actually did….or have ever done.
Great piece. I have read two of the books and did feel uncomfortable with them. The thing I’ve been wrestling with is the book does highlight attitudes towards homelessness in this country and how people can be so close to it. In some ways I think that is still really important even if it has shaky foundations. Also I was wondering this morning - did they even do the walking?! So many questions!
Thanks so much. I think that’s super important! It did well because it raises a lot of questions and it’s obviously such a great idea. That idea of but for one missed payment etc.
Brilliant piece, thank you. I do often think, but don’t often say aloud, that people - perhaps especially young women - would benefit from reading Paul Bloom’s Against Empathy.
I find compulsive liars/fantasists fascinating, not least because, as you say, our ingrained politeness prevents us from calling them out. I had a boss once who would lie in front of a roomful of people who all knew he was lying but never called him out (which of course would have been difficult, but the brass neck…). I had a colleague literally all of whose family had died in - separate - car accidents so when she told us she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer it was difficult to know what to make of it. She actually moved on when the net began to close as her stories started to conflict.
What I find most difficult about this taking down of someone on social media is that what you are all calling for is for that person to lay bare every single thing they have done in their life. How dare we as a society demand this of someone. What right have we to demand such personal information. This writer has given us a partial insight into a specific time in her life… that is it. It is not a memoir of her whole life or an expose. If you have now read her statement countering the Observer’s unreliable story you might see the financial problems she was involved in earlier in her life have absolutely nothing to do with them losing their home which was the catalyst of their walk and their story. They have also now provided medical letters about Moths condition. How righteous all these naysayers have been. Step up and take a good look at your own lives. And to suggest there was some sort of domestic violence/coercion. Wanting better outcomes for your chronically ill partner, seeing how exercise and nature has helped in the past does not equate to domestic abuse when suggesting similar action. Anyone living with someone with a chronic illness knows that ‘hope’ is of upmost importance and any small improvement gives that hope, so why would you not embark on another walk when it provided such improvements (even temporarily) to the person you love.
Hi Alexandra. I’m not asking for them to lay bare everything apologies if it seems like I am. And I don’t know what you mean about domestic violence or coercion as I didn’t mean to imply that. I am responding to fairly serious allegations which the author didn’t really rebutt in her insta post. I don’t know anyone who’s been questioned by police about financial irregularities and later reached a settlement. I don’t know anyone who bought property in France let alone a property that’s apparently uninhabitable. I’m so sad that his disease appears from these medical letters (albeit redacted) to be real and wish him well. The point for me isn’t about looking at my own life. She’s asked readers to spend money on her life stories. I haven’t. I make mine up! over 8 years a vast amount of money has come their way from book advances on not just one but three different books (4 including the one that’s not out yet) in territories around the world not to mention film rights. Thousands of people round the world are thus involved in the Raynor Winn industry. They’re major accusations the observer hasn’t backed down from and it seems fairly important to understand if they are true. Books are my life, I don’t like the idea readers are being taken for fools or ill people given false hope. So I don’t think it’s inappropriate to ask those questions of Winn and her publishers. Thanks.
I agree with you: I've read Raynor Winn's books and took them at face value. Common sense suggests that their financial difficulties were complex and would have made boring reading given in full detail. I don't expect them to bare all their personal details, this would be intrusive.
That the walking may have helped Moth's complex medical conditions is great, but I didn't take that as a suggestion that others with similar conditions would see this as a 'cure' or a try it either. Funny how when the press comes out with something like this, people start saying they knew all along it was fishy.
I've read both the Observer piece and Raynor Winn's response following legal advice: decide for yourself but my instinct is always to believe in the good in people, if that makes me naive, then I'll live with that!
I'm very much with you that #BeKind has created an environment where grifters can thrive. It really does need to be ok to say out loud 'I don't buy this, and here's why'.
This is brilliant. I’m also a suspicious person, but it’s easy to go along with things in the interest of social harmony. We once had a PhD student who was clearly a fantasist visit our field-site (I’m a zoologist), and we all nodded along, “oooh, how amazing!” to things that were clearly ludicrous in retrospect—it made me realise how little he actually had to do to deceive, as the rest of us were all so intent on upholding the social contract and ensuring smooth and polite conversation etc (which is even more crucial when you’re all stuck together 24-7 at a remote fieldsite). Privately, we all had this sense of something being a bit off, but noone felt they could say anything at the time. After he left, he created this website, claiming our fieldsite and research as his own. I had a fit, as our permission to study there obviously didn’t include him, and it put our research in jeopardy. I phoned the Dean of his faculty and after I’d explained the situation, he groaned and said ‘oh God, not again…..”. Amazing. It’s why I’m sceptical of the way psychopaths are always portrayed as Machiavellian geniuses— we normal people are doing at least half the work for them, by dint of not being psychopaths and adhering to the social niceties!
I did read the book and the subsequent 2 books, but I was very suspicious of Moth/Tim walking such difficult terrain in Scotland whilst being so unwell (Book 3). I'll buy Stone Land and can also highly recommend One Woman Walks Europe by Ursula Martin. Ursula is an amazing woman and a beautiful writer too. She's currently walking the length of the UK as a book tour to promote this book...it won't sell millions, but it deserves to!
Oh thanks for this rec. I will look out for it. Do try Stone Lands. It made me cry and I love it.
Seeing Ursula next week in Holmfirth. Very much looking forward to it 😀
Oh brilliant! I'm such an admirer of hers and her writing is SO good 🙂
Brilliant piece. I read The Salt Path a few years ago and had my doubts then. I have a chronic illness so I have big problems with the "have you tried walking or this X natural remedy" brigade and I feel so angry that Raynor/Sally has likely added to that unhelpful noise. I remember one scene in the book where they were offered social housing and the way Raynor acted like it was beneath her left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't continue with the other books.
I am sorry to hear that Rachel. Thanks for this. YES the 'try my way' cure does my head in, see also people talking about childbirth / parenting. X
Well said. I read the book and hated it, mainly Raynor’s ‘poor me’ tone of voice - and couldn’t understand why they had no one to turn to, eg adult kids, siblings. So I was unpleasantly gratified to learn they were wrong ‘uns all along. The irony is they could still have told the ‘true’ story of their spiritual journey without starting with all the lies! It could have been ‘we started off from a bad place’ without the details. It’s so cynical and sad.
The Electricity of Every Living Thing by Katherine May is a gorgeous book about the south west coastal path and how she discovers herself. As another recommendation
Thank you for this. I love Katherine May. Great suggestion.
Loved it too!
Ditto! Lovely book
Great piece! I too am a suspicious person, but not for one second did I suspect Raynor W, and the reason I didn’t is quite interesting. In 2019, I did a gig at a literary festival in Rye. My accommodation was with one of the festival organisers, in a beautiful house with a stunning garden - but I couldn’t properly enjoy either because I was in the middle of a war with my son school (in which I believe they were treating him appallingly, and I was regularly going to battle on his behalf, et cetera, et cetera, and this happened to be slap bang in the middle of one of those battles.)
My hosts were so lovely, and so was their house, and I did start to feel a little bit better shortly after getting there - and then, in walked Raynor Winn, who also had a festival event and who was being put up at the same house as me. I had no idea who she was, and knew nothing about her book or life experiences, and she and I were only in the same room for about 15 minutes if that, before she went upstairs to shower and settle in to her room.
During that time, she said nothing to me other than ‘hello nice to meet you’, and mainly chatted to our hosts, but… my immediate thought, based on what felt like absolutely nothing whatsoever, was, ‘This woman is awful. I cannot bear her. If she stays in this room and talks for much longer, I’m going to have to go somewhere else.’ Thankfully, she soon went off to her room to rest or get changed or whatever, and I restrained my urge to say to our host, ‘Who on earth is that dreadful person?’ I quietly googled her and when I found out about her book, and what she and her husband had been through, I felt terribly guilty for instantly disliking her for no good reason. As a result, literally every time I’ve heard about her or her book since then - until the big reveal, that is - I’ve felt really guilty and thought, ‘Ugh, remember that time I took against a poor woman who been through a terrible ordeal, for no good reason whatsoever.’ I was even quite interested in the sound of the book, but never read it because it reminded me of what an unreasonable cow I’d been. As I say, at the time it felt like I had literally no good reason for thinking badly of her at all - but I had such a strong sense of, ‘She’s awful - I have to get out of here unless she does first.’
Interestingly, I have this very same feeling now, and have done for some time, about someone who is extremely prominent in the UK publishing industry - and on this occasion I have plenty of good reasons for feeling this way - involving many lies. But I still feel guilty, or would do, if I mentioned it. I’d still think I was to blame if anyone thought they were a rotter or a liar. Madness!! Or maybe not. I genuinely don’t know what I think about the ethics of warning people about other people.
You were right before in a similar situation S... And I love this. It's proper chills. It's a very Christie moment, that someone thinks something bad is in the room, that! I think maybe the novelist in us has a 6th sense about people or at least I notice it more at times than others do. I have been right about wrong 'uns before when friends have said 'what are you talking about' etc. (To be clear, I am wrong about almost everything else. Literally everything else.)
Absolutely fascinating! Thank you for sharing!
I have learned never to ignore a gut feeling like that; if I'm not in any danger and it's just a social situation, I will obviously not respond with rudeness or unnecessary impoliteness, but I will tuck that thought away in my mind and not feel guilty that I've thought it. Because I've learned that these gut feelings do come from somewhere, and do come from a truthful place. And then, if I see that person again or end up having to work with them or socialise with them often, I will proceed with caution with them, and not jump into a friendship with them, and just, basically, be on my guard. And often, more comes out about them, or I find other people are also uncomfortable around them, and I realise my first gut feeling is vindicated.
We read it in our book group but I had also bought a copy for a friend who was walking the Coast Path with her husband at weekends but he suddenly passed before they completed it. After reading it myself, I wished I hadn’t gifted it.
It made me SO angry. The loss of their house - not enough detail for sure. Glossed over. Then to effectively steal their way around the West Country. Small businesses supplementing their journey in effect, creeping into campsites after dark ? That’s not resourceful nor wild camping it’s theft which now makes sense. We live in a rural area with a strong tourist and farming economy - the reading group felt pretty much the same way. No respect for the landowners nor cafe and shop owners. Only one (of twelve) found it inspirational. All makes sense now.
That’s really interesting and I’m so sorry about your friend’s husband. In general people who are really devoted to the landscape are too busy to write books so I know what you mean! X
My mum loved The Salt Path and tried to persuade me to read it. Now I realise that she was actually very ill herself when she read it and that it helped her. I’m glad she didn’t find out it was probably a sham. I took one look at it and was strangely repulsed. Raynor "gave me the ick" it seemed really off and I couldn’t put my finger on it so I vaguely told mum I’d get round to it and talked to her about other books instead. It’s a shame she didn’t just publish it as fiction. I would recommend Waterlog by Roger Deakin and Nature Cure by Richard Mabey to anyone looking for thoughtful books on nature and how people connect, particularly in times of personal strife.
I LOVE Roger Deakin, haven't read that, thank you so much, and the Richard mabey sounds 100% up my street. I really appreciate this. Thank you. I am sorry to hear about your mum and I'm really glad the book helped her. That's v interesting about your reaction. Thank you again nancy.
I read the book when it first came out and I adored it..but…I didn’t really buy the explanation of how they lost their house, and felt the missing detail was likely more about how financially stupid and naive they’d been. So I thought ‘you’ve only got yourself to blame’. Then checked myself for being judgmental and mean, because we all make mistakes…and hindsight a wonderful thing.
I know sections of the path well, and am an experienced distance hiker, but found her descriptions oddly lacking. I was almost disappointed not to recognise my favourite parts of the path, but just put that down to how we each interpret our surroundings.
When I read later books, esp the last one, I started to think, how odd it was, these supposedly by now experienced distance hikers still seem to be clueless. They make such daft choices. I started to really feel something was off, but decided they were just feckless.
So of course on seeing the Observers revelations I’m not only feeling cheated, I’m also wondering how much walking they actually did….or have ever done.
Great piece. I have read two of the books and did feel uncomfortable with them. The thing I’ve been wrestling with is the book does highlight attitudes towards homelessness in this country and how people can be so close to it. In some ways I think that is still really important even if it has shaky foundations. Also I was wondering this morning - did they even do the walking?! So many questions!
Thanks so much. I think that’s super important! It did well because it raises a lot of questions and it’s obviously such a great idea. That idea of but for one missed payment etc.
Brilliant piece, thank you. I do often think, but don’t often say aloud, that people - perhaps especially young women - would benefit from reading Paul Bloom’s Against Empathy.
I will seek it out. Thank you!
Not at all. He also has a great Substack.
Can I also throw in Wild Atlantic Women by Grainne Lyons into alternative, crédible reads please ?
Yes and thank you I will check it out!
I find compulsive liars/fantasists fascinating, not least because, as you say, our ingrained politeness prevents us from calling them out. I had a boss once who would lie in front of a roomful of people who all knew he was lying but never called him out (which of course would have been difficult, but the brass neck…). I had a colleague literally all of whose family had died in - separate - car accidents so when she told us she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer it was difficult to know what to make of it. She actually moved on when the net began to close as her stories started to conflict.
It is so weird. As I said I think it is an illness. How else can you think it's ok to do it.
What I find most difficult about this taking down of someone on social media is that what you are all calling for is for that person to lay bare every single thing they have done in their life. How dare we as a society demand this of someone. What right have we to demand such personal information. This writer has given us a partial insight into a specific time in her life… that is it. It is not a memoir of her whole life or an expose. If you have now read her statement countering the Observer’s unreliable story you might see the financial problems she was involved in earlier in her life have absolutely nothing to do with them losing their home which was the catalyst of their walk and their story. They have also now provided medical letters about Moths condition. How righteous all these naysayers have been. Step up and take a good look at your own lives. And to suggest there was some sort of domestic violence/coercion. Wanting better outcomes for your chronically ill partner, seeing how exercise and nature has helped in the past does not equate to domestic abuse when suggesting similar action. Anyone living with someone with a chronic illness knows that ‘hope’ is of upmost importance and any small improvement gives that hope, so why would you not embark on another walk when it provided such improvements (even temporarily) to the person you love.
Hi Alexandra. I’m not asking for them to lay bare everything apologies if it seems like I am. And I don’t know what you mean about domestic violence or coercion as I didn’t mean to imply that. I am responding to fairly serious allegations which the author didn’t really rebutt in her insta post. I don’t know anyone who’s been questioned by police about financial irregularities and later reached a settlement. I don’t know anyone who bought property in France let alone a property that’s apparently uninhabitable. I’m so sad that his disease appears from these medical letters (albeit redacted) to be real and wish him well. The point for me isn’t about looking at my own life. She’s asked readers to spend money on her life stories. I haven’t. I make mine up! over 8 years a vast amount of money has come their way from book advances on not just one but three different books (4 including the one that’s not out yet) in territories around the world not to mention film rights. Thousands of people round the world are thus involved in the Raynor Winn industry. They’re major accusations the observer hasn’t backed down from and it seems fairly important to understand if they are true. Books are my life, I don’t like the idea readers are being taken for fools or ill people given false hope. So I don’t think it’s inappropriate to ask those questions of Winn and her publishers. Thanks.
I agree with you: I've read Raynor Winn's books and took them at face value. Common sense suggests that their financial difficulties were complex and would have made boring reading given in full detail. I don't expect them to bare all their personal details, this would be intrusive.
That the walking may have helped Moth's complex medical conditions is great, but I didn't take that as a suggestion that others with similar conditions would see this as a 'cure' or a try it either. Funny how when the press comes out with something like this, people start saying they knew all along it was fishy.
I've read both the Observer piece and Raynor Winn's response following legal advice: decide for yourself but my instinct is always to believe in the good in people, if that makes me naive, then I'll live with that!
I'm very much with you that #BeKind has created an environment where grifters can thrive. It really does need to be ok to say out loud 'I don't buy this, and here's why'.
Great piece, thank you. And also for the book recommendation via Waterstones, which I’ve ordered. ❤️
Hope you enjoy it and thank you so much. x