A review by jraia
The Wild Truth: A Memoir by Carine McCandless

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.25

I have mixed feelings about this book. While it provides a lot of (very upsetting) history about Chris McCandless's life, and adds context for his decision to leave for Alaska, I do think it is held back by Carine very clearly having Chris on an absolutely unwavering pedestal. It's understandable, given their family life growing up, but it does limit the overall story. I can fully understand why Chris wanted to find happiness alone in the woods, but that doesn't change the fact that he went in wildly unprepared and set himself up for failure. It's okay to acknowledge that, but it seems like Carine isn't able to believe her brother is in any way less than perfect. 

All that aside, if you are interested in Chris's story, this is worth reading. Ultimately, it's a memoir of Carine's life, but understanding their parents does a lot to provide context to Chris's life as well.