The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

The author has written about a fascinating true life story of a young man who walked into the Maine woods, set up a distant camp on private property, and lived there for twenty-six years undetected. He only spoke one word to another person in all that time. He survived the brutal winters by bulking up on foods and hibernating in his reinforced campsite. He subsisted by breaking into cabins and purloining goods from the residents who mostly were summer people. Still, his forays into their homes managed to strike terror into the residents. It is disconcerting to have things stolen, especially over so long a period.

The hermit seems genuinely regretful at his course of burglary to survive. He ultimately paid one too many visits to a group home where advanced alarms had been set up. Since the hermit had worked at an alarm company before disappearing into the woods, most alarms did not deter him.

What caused a young man from a quiet family to leave his job and possessions and live such a sparse life? The hermit considers Thoreau a dilatante. This is an interesting story.