Bluffton Public Library has a monthly adult book discussion group; April’s focus is “The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit" by Michael Finkel. In addition to the discussion, the group will meet with the author, via Skype. 

The book discussion, open to the public, is at noon, Wednesday, April 3, in the library. The monthly discussion group is open to new members and registration is suggested. The group meets the first Wednesday of every month, and occasionally has the author visit via Skype. 

Copies of each month’s books are available for checkout the month prior to each discussion. E-mail [email protected] for more information.

Book synopsis

Many people dream of escaping modern life, but most will never act on it. This is the remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for twenty-seven years, making this dream a reality — not out of anger at the world, but simply because he preferred to live on his own.

In 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food.

Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries.

Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life — why did he leave? what did he learn? — as well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.

About the author

Michael Finkel knew he wanted to be a writer by the age of 10. He is both journalist and memorialist. 

Finkel has reported from more than fifty countries across six continents, covering topics ranging from the world's last hunter-gatherer tribes to conflicts in Afghanistan and Israel to the international black market in human organs to theoretical physics.

In the line of reportorial duty, he has skied off the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, set sail on a Haitian refugee boat, joined a cult in Colorado, been in a car that was run over by a tank in Afghanistan, climbed into an active volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and crossed the Sahara Desert on the back of an open truck. His work has appeared in National Geographic, GQ, The Atlantic, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and The New York Times Magazine.

He also wrote "True Story," about his bizarre and unhealthy friendship with a murderer, which was adapted into a 2015 major motion picture produced by Brad Pitt and starring James Franco and Jonah Hill.

He lives with his family in western Montana and southern France.

Upcoming books

May 1: "The Heart’s Invisible Furies" by John Boyne
June 5: "Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney", including Skype visit from author
July 10: "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi