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The travails of The Salt Path continue! In 2018, Raynor Winn recounted traversing England’s South West Coast Path with her husband Moth, after they were dispossessed of their Welsh home as the result of being swindled in a business deal, all while Moth was diagnosed with a terminal illness. The book became a bestseller that was adapted into a movie starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Raynor has also gone on to write follow-up memoirs, all with the broad formula of Bad Times + Walk = Improved Life. Then one week ago, The Observer published the findings of their own journey into the Winns’ backstory, and it involved some major detours from the original tale. Facts like Raynor and Moth Winn are actually Sally and Tim Walker; they weren’t swindled but instead embezzled money (the woman who moved into their Welsh home has attested to the collection notices that came in after their departure); and medical experts have some serious questions about the true nature of Tim/Moth’s disease. So unsurprisingly, the release of Sally/Raynor’s fourth book, initially scheduled for October, has been put on indefinite hold.

The Salt Path tells the story of Winn and her husband, Moth, who embark on a 630-mile walk after their house is repossessed and Moth is diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration (CBD), a terminal illness.

Last weekend, the Observer published an investigation alleging that Winn had lied about being made homeless and about the circumstances under which she and her husband lost their home. It also questioned the legitimacy of Moth’s diagnosis.

On Wednesday, Winn published a lengthy response denying many of the allegations, and shared medical letters discussing Moth’s CBD.

In a statement reported by the Bookseller, the publisher said: “Given recent events, in particular intrusive conjecture around Moth’s health condition which has caused considerable distress to Raynor Winn and her family, it is our priority to support the author at this time”.

“With this in mind, Penguin Michael Joseph, together with the author, have made the decision to delay the publication of On Winter Hill this October. We will announce a new publication date in due course.”

On Winter Hill would be Winn’s fourth book, after Landlines, The Wild Silence and her debut, The Salt Path, which has sold more than 2m copies globally.

On Winter Hill sees Winn undertake the Coast to Coast walk in northern England, this time alone. “Despite 45 years of walking together, setbacks in her husband, Moth’s, health have led him to see his decline as inevitable, which Raynor refuses to accept”, according to the publisher’s description. “Feeling trapped, she is drawn north, like a migratory bird, seeking the peace and hope that walking brings her”.

After last weekend’s allegations, the charity PSPA, which supports people with CBD, ended its relationship with the couple. Winn also withdrew from the planned Saltlines tour, on which she was scheduled to appear alongside the Gigspanner Big Band at a number of UK venues. Refunds have been given to some customers, according to the BBC.

The Observer accused Winn — whose real name is Sally Walker — of taking “around £64,000” from a former employer, among other allegations. In her response, Winn states: “Any mistakes I made during the years in that office, I deeply regret, and I am truly sorry.”

[From The Guardian]

So the basic premise of this fourth book — which again, Raynor purports to be from real life — is that she feels “trapped” by seeing her husband of nearly 50 years getting progressively worse from a degenerative disease… so she leaves him at home to clear her head on a hike?! Who’s at home with Moth, the creditors? I mean, I didn’t think it was right of them to promote the (false) notion that CBD could be cured by a long walk, the idea floated in The Salt Path. But I don’t know if Raynor fully thought through the optics of this plot, either. As for Penguin’s statement, it came across to me as very face-saving. They’re not ready to cut ties with Raynor completely; she has been a huge moneymaker for them, after all, and I’m sure they’re not eager to admit they themselves made a mistake. So saying the delay is to “support” Raynor gives Penguin a certain amount of cover (book pun!), because it leaves time for things to play out. At the very least, maybe the delay will give Raynor and her Penguin editors the chance to rethink the title, On Winter Hill, which sounds like a parody of itself.

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