Goodreads Description
I'm not sure what it says about me that my first thought upon seeing this Book of the Month selection was, #goals? Although I would need a library and Starbucks. And showers. And stealing would spike my anxiety level through the roof- so the whole endeavor would be for naught. Suppose I'll settle for a one or two room cabin in the country- legally- upon retirement.
Anywho, hermits are a primal fascination, and Finkel tells a riveting story filled with all the details you'd crave if you picked this up in the first place. If walking into the Maine woods one day with little more than the clothes on your back and staying for 27 YEARS doesn't make you "Whaaaaaaa???" I don't know what will. From the extensive surveillance of the Game Warden, to the hidden and impressive camp set up, to Christopher Knight's reacclimation into normal society, the truth is more bizarre than any fiction novel one could read.
The inability to categorize this individual, combined with Finkel's research into other hermits honor codes/concepts of solitude, make for a fast-paced sociological thriller. I'm very interested in picking up the books that Knight found intriguing, as well as the ones Finkel used to further his own understanding of the lifestyle.
The ingenious way Knight covered his tracks, the resident's reactions in the area, and items that corroborated his assertions of disappearance almost three decades previous- were bonkers. I whipped through this in an afternoon, and while I would have read a 500 page account, I appreciated that Finkel didn't unnecessarily draw out the story. Highly recommend to any non-fiction lover, or any person who's had an inkling to get in the car and get away from it all from time to time.
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