The Wild Truth - Large Print by Carine McCandless (Paperback)

About the Book

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 justNew York Timesbestselling 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 ofChris slife and his journey has not yet been told - until now. The missing pieces are finally revealed inThe 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, she reveals how she has learned that real redemption can only come from speaking the truth."

Book Synopsis

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 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, she reveals how she has learned that real redemption can only come from speaking the truth.

From the Back Cover

In April 1992, a young man named Chris McCandless walked into the Alaska wilderness, where he survived for more than 100 days before perishing in an abandoned bus. For over twenty years his story has captivated millions, and yet only one person knew the truth behind his remarkable journey--until now.

Through a tumultuous childhood, the McCandless siblings clung to each other amidst a chaotic home life, forming a lifelong bond and an unbreakable trust. So when Chris forged an anonymous existence on the road, Carine understood what drove Chris away from all he had known. Having to face her own truth, Carine embarked on a unique journey finding strength in the love and connection she shared with her now absent brother.

Review Quotes

"A moving and revelatory saga." - Boston Globe
"One of the driving points of The Wild Truth is that his famous, ultimately fatal journey of adventure and discovery was motivated in large part by a desire to escape his parents, a theme that will be familiar to anyone who saw Sean Penn's film version of Into the Wild, released in 2007. But Carine's new book fleshes out the causes of Chris's actions with much more detail and impact." - Outsideonline.com
"Fiercely honest and gripping. . . . 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." - Publishers Weekly
"Powerful . . . gripping to read." - Examiner.com
"One of the driving points of The Wild Truth is that [McCandless's] famous, ultimately fatal journey of adventure and discovery was motivated in large part by a desire to escape his parents...Carine's new book fleshes out the causes of Chris's actions with much more detail and impact." - Outsideonline.com
"The Wild Truth is a moving narrative of domestic abuse, grief and survival, and for the perspective and revelations it contains, an essential additon to the Into the Wild story." - Newsweek
"Fiercely honest and gripping. . . . 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." - Publishers Weekly
"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
"Helping her readers become more familiar with the overwhelming burdens caused by dysfunctional parents is one of The Wild Truth's major achievements. [McCandless] successfully touches each of us, so regardless of our own personal experience, we feel her anguish, have a better sense of what drove her brother and compelled her to write about her own harrowing history." - Anchorage Press
"Helping her readers become more familiar with the overwhelming burdens caused by dysfunctional parents is one of The Wild Truth's major achievements. [McCandless] touches each of us...[we] have a better sense of what drove her brother and compelled her to write about her own harrowing history." - Anchorage Press
"A powerful book that will confirm the suspicions and assumptions of some Into the Wild-watchers, and shake the assumptions of others. For me, reading it was like finding a crucial missing word in the middle of a crossword puzzle: once those letters were filled in, the answers to the blank spaces around them also cascaded into place." - Eva Holland, Vela Magazine
"A powerful book...For me, reading it was like finding a crucial missing word in the middle of a crossword puzzle: once those letters were filled in, the answers to the blank spaces around them also cascaded into place." - Eva Holland, Vela Magazine