Thread 3: To feel disappointed after reading this in The Observer about the author and her husband from The Salt Path book and film?

[DisappointedReader]

The Observer The real Salt Path: how a blockbuster book and film were ...

Thread One ^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?^

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

I don’t think the category matters.

The book’s selling points were ‘‘true story’ and ‘triumph over adversity’.

I know that, but that wasn't the point in those comments

I am not cross. Just pointing out the fact that the book being published as a memoir (which it wasn't) wouldn't mean what Winn has done OK.

I know how publishing works, thanks!

I meant to add this to my post.

The blurb from Penguin's website. No mention of memoir. But a mention of "true story".

Indeed. I've worked out a vague timeline that seems to raise certain inconsistencies...

For example, previous media interviews/articles have stated their walk began "one Thursday afternoon in August 2013."

However, in the book when they reach Porthallow near end of their first leg, it states that it's day 48. Counting the subsequent nights written in the book, it works out to be around day 58 by the time they call it quits at Pencarrow. The book states its early autumn and that October is approaching. They seek money from their children for train tickets to Polly's.

The first Thursday in August 2013 was the 6th, making this the earliest point of starting. The book also states "early August". But 58 days later is the 3rd October. This might sound not much discrepancy, from the book saying it was approaching October. But it still suggests an inconsistency.

However, I have found compelling evidence that they actually finished this leg no later than the 17th September, creating a 2 and a half week discrepancy.

What's also unusual is that when they walked through Newquay, they got soup at a homeless shelter and bought 25p pasties. What amazes me about this is that they didn't mention or meet their son who it turns out lived there at the time.

This of course doesn't mean they didn't do the walk, it just questions the account of it.

What's also unusual is that when they walked through Newquay, they got soup at a homeless shelter and bought 25p pasties. What amazes me about this is that they didn't mention or meet their son who it turns out lived there at the time.

A sympathetic reading of this would infer they didn't wish him to know how destitute they were. If I remember rightly, in the book they appeared to want to protect their children from how serious their situation was.

As a starting point, have a read of a copy of Private Eye, or you can listen to their fortnightly podcast for free. In particular I recommend having a listen to the episodes where they are interviewing nominees for the Paul Foot award, which is an award for investigative journalism. There's still plenty of really good work being done. The investigation on lead poisoning is particularly shocking.

These stories are out there to be read, you just have to make slightly more effort than waiting for it reach you through to mumsnet, I'm afraid. (Informative though we here are)

I think not meeting their son or their son not wanting to meet them in the place where he lived tells us plenty.
Have I missed something, but what was the livelihood that was taken from them before they started the walk? Losing your house doesn't mean you lose your job. What happened there.

@Ddakji You do seem to be appearing to defend it.

Do you work in publishing or are you a published author, out of interest?

I agree. Yes, some neurological conditions such as CBD are rare and hard to diagnose but saying that scans showed that existing damage to the brain has been reversed is whole different thing.

Agree. Private eye is excellent.

Just because this story has got people chatting, doesn't mean there isn't other brilliant investigative journalism going on -and anyone is welcome to start a thread about any of it

The book states they operated a holiday at the farmhouse, hence loss of house meant loss of employment, and neatly fits the narrative of being able to walk the path.

I presume she lost her job after stealing the money? Not sure about him, guess he was too ill to work.

Well, clearly she was sacked for stealing £65K!

That’s your inference. Yes, I work in publishing. I’m simply correcting a couple of errors on this thread. I’m sorry if you take that to mean I’m saying anyone’s wrong about anything else.

I’ve read a couple of Raynor Winn’s books and I’m just as staggered as everyone else at what a total lying grifter she seems to be, and well beyond any slight embellishment etc that might be made in a book. As someone’s the industry I’m also very interested to see how this plays out for the publisher.

That reminds me of the bit in Orwell's 'Down and Out in Paris and London' where he's staying in a truly appalling dosshouse and a braying patrician booms out of the gloom something like "Never thought I'd hear another voice from the old school here!" (Orwell having gone to Eton)

Salt Path scandal: the juiciest literary scams, from James Frey to JT LeRoy

https://www.thetimes.com/article/330ba87c-4574-4c62-933d-29101016dbd5?shareToken=72b222cc71f72ee91d3273f5391f823c

Or that they saw him and left it out of the memoir. Even the most truthful of memoirs has to be selective, and it’s clear this one didn’t want to feature the adult children much, possibly at their own request. I certainly wouldn’t have an issue with the dates being slightly off, or omitting all mention of seeing their son.

Some agents or editors would probably have suggested that they telescope the two different periods on the path together into one for dramatic effect (and put a note in an intro to say so) but then it would have been completely implausible to keep walking through winter with minimal equipment, so they had to split it.

(I’m more struck by pasties that only cost 25p…)

I imagine they left out reference to the son on purpose and I don’t have a problem with that tbh

Yes, leaving out people who did not wish to be involved is one of the most ethical decisions in the whole debacle

it said that his aunt and uncle are pathological liars and hinted that there is more to be exposed

Yes , I don't have a problem with that kind of omission

As someone said already, it's the difference between leaving stuff out (ok within reason) vs making stuff up.

It's also the difference between trivial details, and something that goes to the heart of the story

Gutted over this, also hoping it doesn't tar other personal journey writers with the same brush. My very good friend has just published her first book, I know the story is 100% true as we lived it with her (deals with grief through journeys to places meaningful to the author) but there are similarities in the way the book cover is designed and also it's marketing (there has a been a review directly referencing the Salt Path). She is worried this will make readers suspicious or less inclined to trust the story.

For pp trying to say it wasn't meant to be taken literally, it's a memoir etc etc
That doesn't explain why they stuck to the same story as being completely true when it came to interviews and talks.

If it was never meant to be taken literally or just represented their spiritual journey, why would they then keep repeating the same stories as if true in interviews?

When an author tours to promote a book that is a novel or memoir they talk about themselves, their inspiration for the book etc with new anecdotes not in the book.

But if talking about a true account, we'll then there's no more to tell as it's all in the book already, so they repeat stories from the book

Which is what happened here, every interview I've seen is almost the same, no new information.

It was an intentional deception.

The post from the nephew on Linkedin has been deleted - what was the gist please?