He quickly lost track of time as it applied to the calendar but rather began to mark the passage of it by the seasons that came and went. The fact that he was only about 30 miles from his family home was of no consequence to him. He felt no need to reassure his family he was alive and well. When he made the decision to exit, he did just that.

He felt no longing for what it had to offer other than his need to occasionally enter local cabins to 'restock' his food supply. He listened to talk radio and classic rock but knew little of what was happening in the world. One of the aspects of Knight's story that I found so interesting is that while he left civilization, he was merely miles from it. He could hear it, at times see it, and yet he remained removed. He felt no pull to re-enter. Author Michael Finkel does a magnificent job telling Knight's story in a respectful and courteous manner while still asking the questions we all have. I believe what is so curious about Christopher Knight's story is that there wasn't a single event or issue that caused him to withdraw from society. He didn't make a conscious choice to exit the mainstream but rather on a whim, at 20 years old, took a drive and never returned to society for 25 years. I was slightly intrigued by The Stranger in the Woods when I sat in on Anythink Commerce City's book club discussion on this non-fiction title by Michael Finkel. I had already put this book on my Goodreads 'To Read' list, but had forgotten about it. After listening to the discussion on this story, I knew I had to read it.

The stranger in the woods download free