Thread 2. To feel disappointed after reading this in The Observer about the author and her husband from The Salt Path book and film?

[AWanderingFool]

Thread Two for The Salt Path and Raynor Winn/Sally Walker/Sally Winn discussions.

Thread One is here: www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5368194-to-feel-disappointed-after-reading-this-in-the-observer-about-the-author-and-her-husband-from-the-salt-path-book-and-film?

Tim is looking very healthy and wealthy in The Telegraph’s photo (as he did in the Country Living article photo.)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/06/the-salt-paths-author-stole-64k-before-losing-house-in-cour/

I know nothing about the book or the film but I love GA and am absolutely infuriated on her behalf. I was also thinking it would be fascinating for them to make an alternative version of the story. I’m sure GA would be up for that.

Stop being gullible then. There are predators out there who might harm you.

This is at the root of the deceipt. It's fucking hard being ill -sometimes I even question myself and I know I am!! The fucking audacity of these miracle snake oil pushers in a wholesome health backdrop guise makes me feel-literally ill.

I seem to remember either in the first or second of her books that she talks about Tim/Moth being ill, and that a lot of tests were carried out, but they were inconclusive. And someone medical said to them that if the tests were inconclusive it could mean that he had CBD.

And I recall them both deciding then that he did have it and ever since have said he has it.

However, it seems like he doesn't, and that instead he may have something that still debilitates but that is much less serious in the short to medium term.

I read the book and had no clue it was meant to be a real story...

makes me feel-literally ill

Have you tried not feeling ill?

(Joke!) 🤗

Oh wow. Really? So it’s not even been confirmed that he has it?

I haven't read the book but have just seen the film. I enjoyed elements of it ..the scenery and empathised with both the hardships and seeming simplicity of such a lifestyle. However, right from them walking away from their farmhouse I had question. Even while it was happening in the film I was whispering to DH ...why would they do that?!!!. Not wait and push for some housing ...even if just a room? This article answers a lot of these questions if they were running away from prosecution ...wild camping better than prison? To have the dishonesty ...and the nerve to steal all that money (if true) then gave the audacity to write a selective account of it and make more money ...This answers questions for me and does seem likely so very disappointing.

A bit of exercise should help with this - have you thought of going on a nice long walk…?

(joking!)

It is marketed as a true story in the book itself and on the front! It’s marketed as a memoir. How could you have thought it was fiction?

I was being light-hearted (knew I shouldn't have deleted the 😁) but thanks for the warning.

It really does. It's in the 3rd article which compares what she said versus what they found out. It's both online and in the paper edition. (Usual MN delay in posting the photo)

From the film, I seem to remember they couldn’t get housing because Moth wasn’t terminally ill (edit: sorry, because Moth didn’t have less than a year to live). I was reminded of it when another poster - can’t remember who - mentioned that in the previous thread on this.

And people who will be unnecessarily rude on the internet.

I think it's really important to not use photographs as clues to someone's health.

I still look completely healthy to an untrained eye (there are tiny clues my family/close friends/doctors can see when I am flaring).

Lots of very serious conditions really are invisible and can't be judged from snapshots.

I am certain the story of his diagnosis is untrue because they could have easily provided evidence to counter the journalist's story.

But I find it equally important to bust the myth that you can "see" whether someone is ill.

Have you read Cheryl Strayed's Wild? Read it if not (or go back to it, if you have). To my knowledge there's no controversy about her and I found her hiking story very uplifting, particularly because she was frank in it about not being perfect and wrote about various bad decisions she'd made. Not all authors are like this. Others will inspire you again.

I assume that refers to the fact he'd had symptoms for 6 years before he was diagnosed.

For a long time I thought I must have picked it up wrong because they kept talking about him having it, but I'm so sure that it was kind of like last resort possibility if it wasn't anything else.

I adore Wild. It’s one of my favourite books. I really recommend it.

I haven't read the book or seen the film ,but there's been so much publicity about both. Why wouldn't this person come out with this info when the book came our a few years back? The pair have certainly made a nice income from it since then.

the son ran it, and writes on his Facebook page that his mum stuck by his side for the entire race. "And finally to my amazing Father who physically broke out of hospital and managed to drag himself to that 25 mile marker to support us on down the final stretch and cheer so loudly his voice could be heard 200meters away over the sounds of hundreds of people, you will forever be my hero."

So the children are either in on it, or have been fooled themselves.

I just told my DM all that has come out today and she was properly shocked and very disappointed having enjoyed and believed the book. She did say she had thought it odd that he managed the walk with that kind of illness (retired nurse) but had accepted that it must be true as it was in print :).

To be honest I remember rolling my eyes and thinking i’d like to hear the other side of the story about the court case, homelessness etc when I read tue book; it all seemed v one sided. So i’m not surprised if they are revealed to be frauds.

To claim someone has such a serious illness and peddle a snake oil cure is particularly despicable though.

Similar story here, except I recently did my long distance walk. I feel so let down.

I know loads of Sallies - not one of them was officially a Sarah. Sally was a very common name in late 50s and early 60s.