Waterville Public Library

BOOK LAUNCH EVENT!
"The Stranger in the Woods" by Michael Finkel

Unless you have been living in the woods for the past several decades, you likely have heard of Central Maine’s North Pond Hermit. Author Michael Finkel has written a book about the North Pond Hermit called "The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit." Mr. Finkel will share his new book at a free book launch event on Thursday, March 9, 2017. All are invited to attend. From 5p-6p that evening, join the author at a reception in Waterville City Hall, 1 Common Street, Waterville, ME 04901. The reception is sponsored by the Colby College Center for the Arts & Humanities and will include free light refreshments by the Last Unicorn. Beginning at 6p in the Waterville Opera House, Mr. Finkel will then give a presentation that will include photographs, video clips, as well as a question and answer session. The author will sign books immediately following this presentation. This event is free, but tickets are required. Free tickets can be picked up at any Bull Moose location or at the Waterville Public Library, 73 Elm Street, Waterville, ME 04901. Books can be pre-ordered at any Bull Moose location. Books will also be available for purchase at the event.

This event is presented by the Waterville Public Library, Bull Moose, and publisher Alfred A. Knopf. Event partners are the City of Waterville, Waterville Opera House, Colby College Center for the Arts & Humanities, Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, and Waterville Creates!. For more information about the event, please visit the Waterville Public Library web site at www.watervillelibrary.org or email librarian@watervillelibrary.org.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: ABOUT "THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS" 
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 27 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.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Finkel is the author of True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa, which was adapted into a 2015 major motion picture. He has written for National Geographic, GQ, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, and The New York Times Magazine. He lives in western Montana.

Michael Finkel Image Credit: Christopher Anderson Magnum