To feel disappointed after reading this in The Observer about the author and her husband from The Salt Path book and film?

[DisappointedReader]

The real Salt Path: how the couple behind a bestseller le...

I read Raynor Winn's book The Salt Path and her other two books. I was looking forward to seeing the film at some point and to reading her next book. I felt sorry to read about the challenges the couple had faced, especially with regard to losing their family home and with Moth's health. Now, having read the article in today's Observer, I feel a bit stunned and am not sure what to think.

No people do buy debt, it can be quite lucrative because usually they’ll buy it for far less than the actual amount, but they can then go on to claim the actual amount.

Maybe the distant relative doesn’t want to be identified, I wouldn’t if it was me!

it is interesting is that it’s promoted as non-fiction. You expect a bit of artistic licence with a nice little story of triumph over the odds.

Who’d care to even delve too much deeper if it was just a nice tale along those lines? Crawdads woman was shady AF. Laura Ingalls-Wilder certainly put a rosy spin on things.

Sounds very dodgy. 18% interest is loanshark territory too.

Agreed absolute snakeoil sellers

I always thought it was a pile of nonsense.

Happy to be proved correct.

Even if you account for the weird family loan.... the pair are still utter grifters

I've really enjoyed Chloe Hadjimatheou’s work in the past. I hope there is a podcast, she’s really good. Funnily enough a friend gave me this book but even her synopsis sounded off, so I never picked it up!

It sounds to me like the relative who lent the money was a bit of a mercenary dick tbh! Secured against their house at a very high interest rate... It's hardly the actions of someone who just wanted to help a desperate relative.

There is a huge Brit population in and around that village where their French house is. If they go there now they will be sniffed out in no time.

If they were living in caravans there then I suspect they bought a bit of a cheap wreck and thought if they didn't live inside the house and claimed it was unfurnished and uninhabitable then they'd not have to pay property taxes on it.

Although I imagine as they've gone up in the world since then, they've just abandoned it as it will have served its purpose.

OMG I feel vindicated too. I hated this book so much, she came across as an awful person, and the way they just accepted the murky loss of the house just sounded off to me. Also the way they treated some people they met on the road, and finally the sense of glee at the end with the student loan they had no intention of ever paying back (wonder if they have now?). They came across as grifters and I was so surprised about how people raved about how inspiring it was.

When I saw the film preview at the cinema a couple of months ago I said to DH "Don't expect me to see that movie about those scammers".

Even through her "fiction" the terrible person she really was shone through. Quite remarkable.

I’d heard before that they weren’t at all what they portrayed themselves to be, and that it was all a bit of a grift. It had put me off ever reading the book though. Wish I could remember who told me exactly what though 😅

I’ve not read the book, but enjoyed the film - although I did think some of the interactions with the locals seemed a bit fictional and embellished. Don’t let a good story get in the way of the truth!

This. I thought she was a very unlikeable character in the book and was puzzled that she'd portray herself as such. All of their misfortune seemed to be their own fault. I also gave up before finishing the book and gave it away.

I’ve not read the book, nor have I seen the movie, but I heard ‘Raynor Winn’ being interviewed on Woman’s Hour a few weeks ago. What struck me was how vague the story of the loss of their home was - it just didn’t make sense.

Moreover, ‘Raynor’/Sally came across as very cagey and insincere. To me, even then, based on just a few minutes of listening to her, her story appeared dishonest and full of holes. I’m actually surprised that so many people were taken in by her.

but putting up £100k for the wife of a distant relative to stop them going to prison for stealing from their employer? While their own business was failing? They must have been very close despite being distantly related. Perhaps they were. 🤷🏼‍♀️ but they also agreed an enormous interest rate, which is out of step with the altruism of helping a relative / friend.

Oops, I meant’ don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story’ !😑

Well, I feel vindicated in one small way. I always wondered if "Moth" was short for Timothy!

I mean she’s a conwoman - did you think she’d go to the bank for the £100k - she clearly mixes with other dodgy people and got burnt this time

would love to know if they ever sorted the French house or if the French authorities are going to be after them!!

Agree with PP. she’s like captain Tom’s daughter. Hope they are cancelled. She’d probably write about that too.

I disliked the book, but read it as I'm Cornish and it was about my home. The reasons why they ran away were very vague. I also thought they treated their friend who tried to help them out over the winter shabby. They also seemed to be ungrateful and thought they were superior to anyone who was willing to help them.

Really resent crying during the film now 😠

I think the journalist needs to get investigating as to whether or not they actually walked the coast path!

Huh! I was also frustrated that the cause of their bankruptcy wasn’t made clear, and I was sceptical of Moth’s ‘cure’ from CBD.

i wonder how much checking the publisher did, or the film company?

It’s one thing writing fiction, but another thing to say that something is true when it’s not.

I have read the book. Not at all surprised by this.

I wonder what else might come out now that she's been linked to her real name, Sally Walker, and other people from her past make the connection.

That’s shocking! I hope the real story is widely publicised so people realise they’re a pair of thieves /cheats.

There was an interview with them in a newspaper (or possibly Good Housekeeping?) ages ago when the book came out. It all seemed a bit far fetched then somehow. Won’t see the film now and hope the police look into the situation.