The Wild Truth: The Secrets That Drove Chris McCandless into the Wild
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- Create Date：2021-06-26 09:55:25
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Carine McCandless
- ISBN：0007585136
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Summary
The spellbinding story of Chris McCandless， who gave away his savings， hitchhiked to Alaska， walked into the wilderness alone， and starved to death in 1992， fascinated not just New York Times bestselling author Jon Krakauer， but also the rest of the nation。 Krakauer's book，Into the Wild， became an international bestseller， translated into thirty-one languages， and Sean Penn's inspirational film by the same name further skyrocketed Chris McCandless to global fame。 But the real story of Chris’s life and his journey has not yet been told - until now。 The missing pieces are finally revealed in The Wild Truth， written by Carine McCandless， Chris's beloved and trusted sister。 Featured in both the book and film， Carine has wrestled for more than twenty years with the legacy of her brother's journey to self-discovery， and now tells her own story while filling in the blanks of his。 Carine was Chris's best friend， the person with whom he had the closest bond， and who witnessed firsthand the dysfunctional and violent family dynamic that made Chris willing to embrace the harsh wilderness of Alaska。 Growing up in the same troubled household， Carine speaks candidly about the deeper reality of life in the McCandless family。 In the many years since the tragedy of Chris's death， Carine has searched for some kind of redemption。 In this touching and deeply personal memoir， she reveals how she has learned that real redemption can only come from speaking the truth。
Reviews
Sandy
，
After reading Into The Wild， when it first came out， I remember thinking: Chris M。 must have had good reason to leave his family。 This book explains what was so troubling about his family。 I don't blame him for leaving at all， he needed to for his sanity。 I only hope that his sister， and the author of this book， Carine， has gotten some therapy to help her understand how the dynamics of her family have played out in her own life。 After reading Into The Wild， when it first came out， I remember thinking: Chris M。 must have had good reason to leave his family。 This book explains what was so troubling about his family。 I don't blame him for leaving at all， he needed to for his sanity。 I only hope that his sister， and the author of this book， Carine， has gotten some therapy to help her understand how the dynamics of her family have played out in her own life。 。。。more
Cynthia
，
4/4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I listened to the audiobook version of this book。 I need to start of by admitting that I have no recollection of reading the Into the Wild & I am vaguely familiar with the story… but this is another glimpse into the events & life of Chris McCandless and his sisters attempt at clearing up some “truths” about why Chris made some of the choices he did。 It explores their childhood in a dysfunctional home full of manipulation and fighting。 Carine offers the reader an intimate glimpse into 4/4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I listened to the audiobook version of this book。 I need to start of by admitting that I have no recollection of reading the Into the Wild & I am vaguely familiar with the story… but this is another glimpse into the events & life of Chris McCandless and his sisters attempt at clearing up some “truths” about why Chris made some of the choices he did。 It explores their childhood in a dysfunctional home full of manipulation and fighting。 Carine offers the reader an intimate glimpse into her life growing up， her relationship with her brother and family， and the events after Chris being found… this is her truth。 。。。more
Kathryn Andrews
，
A difficult read。 Very cathartic。
Ashley Shaw
，
If you have read or watched Into the Wild， this memoir written by Chris McCandless’s sister is worth a read。 In her role as consultant for both the book and movie， there were some things she held back， as Chris was a very private person。 Over the years and the roller coaster relationship they had with their parents， she realized it was time to peel back some layers。 It really did change my perspective on her brother’s mindset in leaving it all behind to go live off the land。 I found Carine to be If you have read or watched Into the Wild， this memoir written by Chris McCandless’s sister is worth a read。 In her role as consultant for both the book and movie， there were some things she held back， as Chris was a very private person。 Over the years and the roller coaster relationship they had with their parents， she realized it was time to peel back some layers。 It really did change my perspective on her brother’s mindset in leaving it all behind to go live off the land。 I found Carine to be endearing and resilient and I instantly liked her。 She also confirmed what I already was hoping to be true: that author Jon Krakauer is a good person。 。。。more
Lea
，
If you were fascinated by Into the Wild， then this is a must read。 Brave， vulnerable， disturbing and enlightening account of utter family dysfunction and ultimately the strength and power of the sibling bond。
Sean Adamczyk
，
This was a fascinating book - to hear from his family and learn about the person he was before this tragedy happened was a great backstory。
Danielle BookGirl
，
Disappointing。 I did not enjoy this book much， especially as a person who enjoyed Into the Wild quite a lot。 This book is not at all the same sort of thing， not even in the same realm。 It's easy to tell that Carine is not the best writer， and I don't expect her to be。 However， her writing style is rather jarring （much like the other elements of the book） and she'll go from using dark metaphors and detailed yet not very atmospheric descriptions， to using a very casual， conversational voice。 Carin Disappointing。 I did not enjoy this book much， especially as a person who enjoyed Into the Wild quite a lot。 This book is not at all the same sort of thing， not even in the same realm。 It's easy to tell that Carine is not the best writer， and I don't expect her to be。 However， her writing style is rather jarring （much like the other elements of the book） and she'll go from using dark metaphors and detailed yet not very atmospheric descriptions， to using a very casual， conversational voice。 Carine seems to have no gratitude towards anyone and doesn't appear to find any faults within herself。 In the beginning of the book， a woman kindly invites her into her home （where Carine grew up） and Carine has nothing to say except for judgmental and rude commentary about how the house smells and other features she finds unfavorable。 If this was being written from a third person perspective about a character who is supposed to be snotty and entitled， it would be an excellent scene。 But for a memoir where she is supposed to be the hero， or at least not a bad person， it just comes off as incredibly rude。 Another problem I have， is that the book just moves too fast。 Within a span of about 10 pages， she is broken up with， nearly assaulted by an uncle， accused of being on drugs， beaten by her father， and gets married。 There is no moment to stop and dwell on how these things made her feel， no moments of reflection。 For an example of an excellent， well rendered memoir， I would definitely refer to the Glass Castle。 The Glass Castle is so excellent because of the depth in both of the parents， the author seems to be in a much better frame of mind and is able to look at both sides of her parents， and why they acted like they did。 In Carine's writing， there is none of that （especially for her father）。 He's constantly doing horrible things， and every time he gets any sort of humanity， it's only in a sentence or so。 For example， when she breaks up with her boyfriend， Jimmy， who was fixing an old Corvette with her， she's left with the almost finished car。 There is a single sentence that states her father helped her finish it。 Why didn't she write about that？ There could have been so many moments that could have been extracted from that， but she just skips over it and goes to the next horrible moment。 Every single time she goes on to a new tragedy， it barely feels like a tragic event at all。 Again， it moves too fast。 She doesn't stop and talk about how those events affected her， so it just feels like nothing happened at all。 Definitely not my style of book。 I wish she was a bit more thoughtful and introspective when writing。 。。。more
Gabrielle Balolia
，
The first half of the book is interesting。 It’s about her brother， Chris， and gives more meaning to the “into the wild” story。 The second half is a lot of complaining about her difficulties， and vilifying her past partners。。。not at all relevant。
Andy
，
[Reading Books From Every U。S State #2 - Alaska]I don't think any non-fiction story has ever caught me the way Chris McCandless' story has。 I adored the film and the book of Into the Wild so reading a memoir from Chris's sister is a great honour to read。 This book is excellently presented and it goes into the psyche of both Chris and Carine growing up。 It also helped answer a few questions I had after Into The Wild so I am glad I picked this book up。 [Reading Books From Every U。S State #2 - Alaska]I don't think any non-fiction story has ever caught me the way Chris McCandless' story has。 I adored the film and the book of Into the Wild so reading a memoir from Chris's sister is a great honour to read。 This book is excellently presented and it goes into the psyche of both Chris and Carine growing up。 It also helped answer a few questions I had after Into The Wild so I am glad I picked this book up。 。。。more
Katt Winter
，
This book stuck with me。 The sad fallout and the accumulation of grief the ones left behind have to carry。 It provides a much more whole picture of why Chris felt he had to do what he had to do。 Beautiful story。
Andreia
，
You will never understand Chris until you read this。I had to say that first。 I think many people thought this was a book about Chris， like Into the Wild is， and therefore finish it disappointed if they don't care about his family history。 But if you care about Chris McCandless， why wouldn't you care about his sister and his upbringing and his family dynamics？ You must know， from reading Into the Wild， how it felt like so much wasn't being explained or kept back。 At least， I felt that strongly an You will never understand Chris until you read this。I had to say that first。 I think many people thought this was a book about Chris， like Into the Wild is， and therefore finish it disappointed if they don't care about his family history。 But if you care about Chris McCandless， why wouldn't you care about his sister and his upbringing and his family dynamics？ You must know， from reading Into the Wild， how it felt like so much wasn't being explained or kept back。 At least， I felt that strongly and I was just a teenager when I read it for the first time。 Carine McCandless proved how right I was in this shockingly brave account of her past。The Wild Truth is excruciatingly painful from the very first page。 I remember thinking "I'm on page 12 and I could scream" - that's how angry I felt。 To be totally honest with myself， deep down I wish I hadn't read this book。 I knew the McCandless kids' childhood must have been difficult and painful but not like this。 I don't want to get into details - in fact， I don't even want to recall what I've just finished reading and if you are triggered by physical violence， emotional abuse and rape， please beware - but I was completely taken aback （and that's to put it lightly） by some of the memories Carine shared。 Sometimes I felt like I was reading fiction - there was just no way two parents could be this bad， this monstrous。 To think that Chris， this pure， wild， honest， kind， generous soul came out of these beings seems too unfair to be true。 Unfortunately， the universe， God， whatever you call it， is far from being fair。 And "'Rather than love， than money， than faith， than fame， than fairness， give me truth。"Carine is inspiringly courageous in the way she gives her truth。 I can only imagine how difficult writing this memoir must have been and to thank her for this， I will never forget it。 I talk about the McCandless like I know them。 I don't。 But like many others， Chris's story touched me deeply and has formed me into the person I am today。 He may have not lived long but his legacy endures。 And in me， it will endure until the end of my days。 In a way， I am glad I only read this book now because I think it would've been too much for me to handle emotionally years ago。 However， I will fight anyone who tells me Chris was just an ungrateful child even more fervently now that I've read Carine's side of the story。 "You don't know anything until you read The Wild Truth。" These will be my fighting words。If you truly care about Chris， the person， not just Chris， the adventurer， you will treasure this book。 And please keep sharing the truth。 Chris deserves it。 。。。more
Kelsie Davis
，
I loved this book！ Chris' story is amazing and Carine does a wonderful job adding insight。 I would recommend this as a companion to Into the Wild。 I loved this book！ Chris' story is amazing and Carine does a wonderful job adding insight。 I would recommend this as a companion to Into the Wild。 。。。more
Mary
，
Count me in as one who is fascinated by the story of Chris McCandless。 Jon Krakauer was the ideal writer to introduce McCandless to the world， and to chronicle his unusual journey。 Sean Penn is to be credited for the well done movie。 （As an '97 Emory graduate， I loved the first scene。） Though Penn was allowed to reveal a bit more than Krakauer， both storytellers were restrained from telling the full story of McCandless’s background。 It’s a story that needed to be told to provide much needed cont Count me in as one who is fascinated by the story of Chris McCandless。 Jon Krakauer was the ideal writer to introduce McCandless to the world， and to chronicle his unusual journey。 Sean Penn is to be credited for the well done movie。 （As an '97 Emory graduate， I loved the first scene。） Though Penn was allowed to reveal a bit more than Krakauer， both storytellers were restrained from telling the full story of McCandless’s background。 It’s a story that needed to be told to provide much needed context to Into The Wild。 Over time， Carine McCandless realized that， and wrote The Wild Truth; a book I could not put down。 Carine elaborated on what we already knew between Krakauer and Penn; Chris' father Walt McCandless is a deeply flawed individual。 A revelation of The Wild Truth is that his mother， Billie McCandless， was an equal contributor to the family's dysfunction。 As a victim-turned-enabler of Walt's emotional， verbal， sexual and physical abuse， she became a damaging abuser herself。 The tragedy of it all。 Christopher McCandless had so much to contribute to the world; strong character， compassion and high intellect。 But he had to go Into the Wild。 Now I understand why。 Carine’s story by itself is a remarkable one of resilience。 Yet， the reviews of The Wild Truth were polarizing。 Readers either lapped it all up， or it rubbed them the wrong way。 The consensus among the latter is that Carine made it about herself when they wanted to learn more about Chris。 Multiple reviews pointed out that Carine accepted significant monetary help from her parents including a lavish wedding and a luxurious trip to France， then turned around and assassinated them in character。From a light Google search， I happened upon a 2011 article for the Montgomery County Public Schools。 It reports Walt and Billie’s visit to Clarksburg Highschool。 Quote Billie McCandless to the students: “If you are having problems at home with your parents … step up to the plate and tell them how you feel。 They will respect you so much for it。” And here’s another one。。。“Billie had one final piece of advice for students: ‘Never be afraid to follow your dreams， kids。 Just let your parents know what that dream is。'” Try to reconcile that with what Carine wrote in The Wild Truth。 It defies logic。 Hence， the reason I am inclined to be among those who lapped it up。 Carine explains that she initially held out hope for healing with her parents。 （Hence， the reason Krakauer did not reveal all in Into the Wild）。 While there were extended periods of relative calm， Walt and Billie McCandless proved unwilling to acknowledge their faults。 Accepting that her parents would never change their abusive ways， Carine wrote The Wild Truth to express what went on behind closed doors in the McCandless Household。 She did it to vindicate her brother， Chris McCandless。By the way， I loved the Afterword written by Chris' half sister， Shelly McCandless。 It's beautiful when strength and love emerge from destruction and suffering。 。。。more
Lois
，
4。5 starsThis was an exceptionally powerful read。 In the summer of last year， my boyfriend and I both read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer， and we felt so moved by Chris McCandless' story; and in our being so moved by it， we felt incredibly saddened by the scorn that it drew from some readers， at Chris' "selfishness"， "arrogance"， "recklessness"， et cetera。 Speaking for myself， I remember feeling that while I didn't necessarily agree with all of Chris' decisions， namely in severing all communicati 4。5 starsThis was an exceptionally powerful read。 In the summer of last year， my boyfriend and I both read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer， and we felt so moved by Chris McCandless' story; and in our being so moved by it， we felt incredibly saddened by the scorn that it drew from some readers， at Chris' "selfishness"， "arrogance"， "recklessness"， et cetera。 Speaking for myself， I remember feeling that while I didn't necessarily agree with all of Chris' decisions， namely in severing all communication with his family once committing to a life "in the wild"， I sympathised deeply with him and his plight。 But from Krakauer's book， I think we can gauge that there is more to the story than we as the reader can see， and so it is unfair for anyone to judge Chris and the decisions he made。 We can't possibly know the whole story。This is where Carine McCandless steps in。 Three years younger than her brother， she and Chris shared an extremely close bond growing up。 This is evident in the fact that she insisted on delaying her wedding until her brother returned from his travels， so that he could walk her down the aisle as opposed to her father。 But unfortunately， this was not to be。 His death in 1992 completely devastated her。 At the time when Krakauer was researching and writing his book， she opened up to him about the reasons why Chris left as he did， the sheer unhappiness they'd both felt in an abusive childhood home， but asked him to keep this information out of his book。 After all， Carine was just twenty-one years old when she met Krakauer， and though her relationship with her parents was fragile， she was still holding out hope that they might be able to change， particularly in the wake of Chris' death。 Krakauer agreed， and instead faced the challenge of hinting at Chris' unhappiness as a child， and the abuse and falsehoods he'd been subjected to， without saying it explicitly。 Yet， as she details in this memoir， the immediate success that Into the Wild found only fuelled her parents' untruths; they nodded along when people spoke up about Chris' cutting them off unfairly， nodded along when some readers wrote him off as a self-absorbed， teenage-like rebel intent on tormenting his family， claiming that "children can be harsh judges when it comes to their parents"， and chose not to acknowledge the astronomical part they had to play in it。 Carine started to feel as though she had done her brother a disservice， by trying to protect them from exposing the truth about their inadequacy as parents， watching as they rode the sympathy wave， painting themselves as martyrs， and refused to learn from their mistakes。 As she says in the book， she feels that as humans， we all make mistakes， and we should all be given the chance to learn from them。 But they chose not to。 And this is where The Wild Truth rose from。I won't detail the abuse， both physical and emotional， that Carine McCandless delves into， but it is shocking to say the least; and it is clear the writing and eventual publication of this book came as a last resort， having tried to mend the relationship between herself and her parents many times over。 But at the end of the day， it is a testament to Chris， and the truth。 Having already read Into the Wild， it certainly sheds light on the reasons why he ultimately shrugged off the burden of his family and resigned himself to a life lived alone - which he believed he wanted - and at one with nature。 My only sadness is that he didn't stay in communication with Carine herself for the last two years of his life， but if he had， he wouldn't have been free of his parents， and that is the sad truth of it。 They had their claws in deep， and he'd had enough。 Chris aside， I think it was extremely brave of Carine to publish this memoir， as well as the hope she expresses that it will inspire others who have experienced similar traumas to seek help and speak out。 Within this and Krakauer's original book， the memory and spirit Chris McCandless lives on， and it will continue to live on for as long as it is read。 。。。more
Nikki Cummings
，
If you’ve read， “Into the Wild” this book is an important follow up read。 If you haven’t read it， this book is beautiful on its own。 The author does an exceptional job with this book and in honoring her brother， Christopher’s story。 I was moved to tears many times during this read。 Thank you for the truth， Carine。 This book is beautiful。
Jesse Walker
，
Thank youComing from a mixed family this really it close to home。 Really makes me appreciate my family so much more。
Donna
，
For fans of Into the Wild， this is a must-read to understand the background of Chris and Carine McCandless' childhood。 Excellent narration， compelling story。 For fans of Into the Wild， this is a must-read to understand the background of Chris and Carine McCandless' childhood。 Excellent narration， compelling story。 。。。more
Carl
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A great book that provides some additional context for both the book and movies called "Into the Wild"。 A great book that provides some additional context for both the book and movies called "Into the Wild"。 。。。more
Shannon
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This is a tough read。 CW for child abuse， domestic violence， psychological abuse， gaslighting。 The McCandless parents were royally messed up。 Chris’ sister Carine wrote this book as a response to their parents trying to play the victim and whitewash their very dirty history when Into the Wild came out。 If you come from an abusive background yourself， this could be really triggering。 I would recommend it if you enjoyed Into The Wild and want to know the rest of the story。
Daniel Jones
，
As an Into The Wild superfan， I loves this book， but I would say that it definitely has appeal to a wider audience。 It is really well written， honest， exploring ideas about family， motherhood and owning your own business in a really interesting way。 Carine writes really well， and the structure of the book is excellent， as it veers between memories of Chris and the events of her own life。 The ending is really touching and emotional， and you get a good insight into the creation of the movie and th As an Into The Wild superfan， I loves this book， but I would say that it definitely has appeal to a wider audience。 It is really well written， honest， exploring ideas about family， motherhood and owning your own business in a really interesting way。 Carine writes really well， and the structure of the book is excellent， as it veers between memories of Chris and the events of her own life。 The ending is really touching and emotional， and you get a good insight into the creation of the movie and the book。 It really makes me see the events of Into the Wild in a different light。 An excellent read， my best book of the year so far。 。。。more
Lesa
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Wish I wouldn't have bothered。 Carine does not come across as genuine to me at all。 She talks about how awful her parents were， but then also shares pictures of her fancy trips to Europe on their dime。 Too much being the victim for me。 She didn't speak to her brother in 2 years， yet was devastated by his death？ It's just a lot of drama。 Wish I wouldn't have bothered。 Carine does not come across as genuine to me at all。 She talks about how awful her parents were， but then also shares pictures of her fancy trips to Europe on their dime。 Too much being the victim for me。 She didn't speak to her brother in 2 years， yet was devastated by his death？ It's just a lot of drama。 。。。more
Lauren Folsom
，
UGH YES CARINE SPILL THE TEA
Jessica Mathes
，
Loved this book！ I cried several times throughout reading Carine’s account of her life and her brother’s life。 So many questions I’ve had after reading Into the Wild （several times） have been answered。 Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book。
Phil
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Carine persists in trying to make her brother's truth be known。 Carine persists in trying to make her brother's truth be known。 。。。more
Barbara
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Heart wrenching
Khris Sellin
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Written by Carine McCandless， the sister of the "Into the Wild guy，" this book shares the painful past and the abuse Carine and Chris suffered at the hands of their parents。 She wanted people to know Chris wasn't just some spoiled rich kid going off ill prepared on some crazy adventure， and he wasn't suicidal。 But he was trying to escape from his parents and take some time to figure out where he fit in the world。 It's a touching tribute to her brother and a study in self-analysis， revisiting her Written by Carine McCandless， the sister of the "Into the Wild guy，" this book shares the painful past and the abuse Carine and Chris suffered at the hands of their parents。 She wanted people to know Chris wasn't just some spoiled rich kid going off ill prepared on some crazy adventure， and he wasn't suicidal。 But he was trying to escape from his parents and take some time to figure out where he fit in the world。 It's a touching tribute to her brother and a study in self-analysis， revisiting her own mistakes in life and how their childhood shaped the people they would become。 。。。more
Bernie Freytag
，
There are a lot of bad reviews for this book on here and I wanted to chime in。 Not something I normally would do， but I felt compelled to post something after reading what others have said。 I think in Carine's case， it's a good book， she's a very good writer， and I think everyone should tell their story。 Though I think relying on the success of Into The Wild， this book already has a very tough hill to climb。 Ultimately， I wasn't shocked by anything， but it's very compelling to hear Carine's voic There are a lot of bad reviews for this book on here and I wanted to chime in。 Not something I normally would do， but I felt compelled to post something after reading what others have said。 I think in Carine's case， it's a good book， she's a very good writer， and I think everyone should tell their story。 Though I think relying on the success of Into The Wild， this book already has a very tough hill to climb。 Ultimately， I wasn't shocked by anything， but it's very compelling to hear Carine's voice。 And it was very enjoyable to gain some insight of who her brother was。 She is also the only person in this world that could shed more light upon her brother's death。。。and she does that successfully with clarity。 I would have given the book a higher school but at times it was long winded with a little too much detail that seemed forced。 But， like I said， everyone deserves to tell their story。 。。。more
Annette
，
I really enjoyed the author's truthfulness regarding her life， her brother Chris'slife and their parents' tumultuous behaviour。 The author's writing style was great， easy to follow。 This book would be a great read for any age group I really enjoyed the author's truthfulness regarding her life， her brother Chris'slife and their parents' tumultuous behaviour。 The author's writing style was great， easy to follow。 This book would be a great read for any age group 。。。more
Marissa Klein
，
Reading people's 1-star reviews kind of disgusts me as they try to attack the author's story and find blame in the actions of a young woman， trying to navigate a world filled with abuse。 Obviously no one can know the whole truth from Chris' perspective because unfortunately he didn't leave a ton behind to decipher every moment he ever felt in his life。 He wasn't one for material objects and left everything behind for a reason to start fresh。 Recounting the story in it's entirety would be impossi Reading people's 1-star reviews kind of disgusts me as they try to attack the author's story and find blame in the actions of a young woman， trying to navigate a world filled with abuse。 Obviously no one can know the whole truth from Chris' perspective because unfortunately he didn't leave a ton behind to decipher every moment he ever felt in his life。 He wasn't one for material objects and left everything behind for a reason to start fresh。 Recounting the story in it's entirety would be impossible。 The author is doing what she can with what she knows from her life， talking to family members and research from Jon， I thought this story was vulnerable， powerful and captures the story she is able to and wants to tell。 As a fan of Into the Wild， I felt more connected to Chris and his story through understanding their childhood than I did in the Krakauer book， despite Krakauer being my favorite author。 This story is a story of Carine McCandless， her life and her relationship with her brother。 It allows us to understand Chris better， but it's her life we are reading and her story to share。 I loved it。 。。。more
Megan
，