The Salt Path scandal: why we care

I hadn’t heard of The Salt Path before this week.

Maybe I’m in the minority.

I had been repeatedly exposed online to an image of a wind-swept white couple – or were they siblings? – for about a week or so, but hadn’t engaged with the articles or think pieces attached.

I’ve since caught up with the scandalous affair, and scandalous it appears to be.

One thing is for sure; it has certainly captured our imaginations…

There are 5+ pages of articles published about The Salt Path this week. Top podcasts dissecting the story as it unfolds. BookTok is awash with opinions ranging from outrage to support of the author.

The Salt Path

The Salt Path describes itself as: “an honest and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world.”

It is seen as a memoir, nature and travel book that documents a couple’s grit and determination in the face of adversity. Namely, a terminal illness and an unexpected, unfair eviction. When the chips are down, they make lemonade (I think that’s the saying) by embarking on a long and scenic walk around the south coast of England which heals them in more ways than one.

Released in 2018, it won awards, sold over 2 million copies, and made a LOT of money for the author, Raynor Winn and her husband Moth.

It has recently been adapted to a film, starring Big Name Actors (Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs) who are yet to publicly comment on the recent allegations…

The exposé

At the weekend, Chloe Hadjimatheou at The Observer broke the story that the unlikely and remarkable true story of Raynor & Moth Winn’s long and restorative walk was perhaps not all that it seemed to be.

Truth bomb one: That’s not even her real name!
She’s not called Raynor, she’s called Sally! And he’s not called Moth, he’s called Tim!
Although it is quite common practice for authors to write under pseudonyms…

Truth bomb two: They weren’t actually homeless
They had a house in France!
Although it was falling apart and they’d never actually been able to stay inside it, camping on the grounds instead…

Truth bomb three: Their eviction wasn’t unexpected, or unfair
They weren’t swindled out of money by a bad egg; she embezzled money and never paid it back! (Allegedly).

Truth bomb four: He probably isn’t terminally ill
The illness Tim/Moth was diagnosed with in the book seriously impacts the body and has a tragically short life expectancy of 6-8 years. Living with the condition for 18 years – and walking hundreds of miles with it – seems beyond unlikely.

Does it matter?

It is only a book, after all. It isn’t defamatory. And if it has offered millions of people comfort, escapism, inspiration… isn’t that a good thing?

Memoirs are different from novels though. And the book is heavily marketed on its truth.

It is its foray into the world of medicine and illness that is the most potentially dangerous.

Writers bear a huge responsibility when documenting their approach to illness, cures or treatments. There is a community of likeminded people struggling with their own diagnoses who will be hanging on your every word, and it is them to whom the truth is owed.

Who’s at fault?

If the allegations are true and The Salt Path proves to be loose on truth, there may be issues to follow both legal and reputational.

There may be a degree of false advertising if the ‘fact’ that the book is based on truth has been used in promotion. The reader may feel jilted, their trust violated.

Depending on the contract, the liability probably lies with the author to verify the authenticity of her work.

Perhaps higher levels of due diligence were… due… from the publisher (or the film-makers). But given the ethos and sentiment of the book, you’d have to be quite cynical to feel the need to push hard on the background checks for this author / book on the off-chance it’s fraudulent…

The publisher has said that they “undertook all the necessary pre-publication due diligence, including a contract with an author warranty about factual accuracy, and a legal read, as is standard with most works of non-fiction. Prior to the Observer inquiry, we had not received any concerns about the book’s content.”

The author has said that “The Salt Path lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth and I shared, an experience that transformed us completely and altered the course of our lives. This is the true story of our journey.”

She states that “The Observer article is highly misleading… We are taking legal advice and won’t be making any further comments at this time.”

What to take from it

There are examples of memoirs that have proven to be false and had significant real-world repercussions. Some have had legal ramifications, for example readers suing publishers. Some have caused rifts within families, for example when alternative medical paths have been taken due to baseless research documented in bogus books.

I think the questioning of the authenticity of The Salt Path is so fervent because the book was seen by many as the antidote for the times we live in.

In a world filled with war, flooding, and political polarisation, The Salt Path offered a gentle, mindful alternative. When times are hard, strap on your boots, get outside, connect with nature… and everything will be ok.

The allegations against the book chip away at that wholesome, hopeful sentiment. Perhaps everything won’t be ok? Perhaps we were right to be worried, and anxiety ridden. Perhaps there’s no point even hoping anymore?

But whilst some aspects of the book may turn out not to be legitimate, the sentiment of hope and connection remains truer than ever:

When times are hard, strap on your boots, get outside, connect with nature… and everything will be ok.