The publishers behind The Salt Path have insisted they carried out “due diligence” in fact-checking the memoir after allegations emerged that parts of it had been embellished.
Penguin has released a statement stating it had “not received any concerns about the book’s content” prior to an Observer investigation, which found inconsistencies around the financial dispute outlined in the story.
Selling over two million copies since its release in 2018, the book, written by Raynor Winn, spawned two sequels and a film adaptation starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs.
The Salt Path follows the inspiring story of Raynor and her husband Moth as they embark on a 630-mile trek along the South West Coast Path after facing homelessness, a devastating medical diagnosis and financial ruin.
The accuracy of Winn’s story, however, has since been disputed, with the investigation casting doubt over the viability of the illness described. Winn has insisted that reports are “misleading”.
The couple have since been dropped by charity PSPA (in support of people living with progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration) who said they were “shocked and disappointed” by the allegations.
Penguin’s full statement, provided to The Bookseller, read: “Penguin (Michael Joseph [a division of Penguin Books]) published The Salt Path in 2018 and, like many readers, we were moved and inspired by Raynor’s story and its message of hope.
“Penguin undertook all the necessary pre-publication due diligence, including a contract with an author warranty about factual accuracy, and a legal read, as is standard with most works of non-fiction. Prior to the Observer inquiry, we had not received any concerns about the book’s content.”
The Observer investigation claims that Raynor and Moth Winn’s real names are Sally and Tim Walker, respectively. Raynor Winn was also accused of stealing £64,000 from a former employer in 2008, which she reportedly attempted to repay after taking out a loan from a relative.
They allegedly accrued over £100,000 in debt to a relative, which was secured against their home, a 17th century farmhouse in the Welsh countryside that was eventually repossessed. Contrary to being homeless, the report suggested the couple owned land in France at the time of their walk.
Questions have also been raised about the feasibility of Moth’s diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration (CBD), a rare and incurable neurological condition said to be both degenerative and terminal.
Producers of the Salt Path film, released only weeks ago, have said they had no knowledge of the concerns.
In a statement provided to The Independent, Raynor Winn said that the “Observer article is highly misleading.” She added: “We are taking legal advice and won’t be making any further comments at this time.
“The Salt Path lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth and I shared, an experience that transformed us completely and altered the course of our lives. This is the true story of our journey.”
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