It’s a story that touched millions — the emotional and inspiring journey of Raynor Winn and her husband Moth, as chronicled in The Salt Path. After allegedly losing everything — their home and a future — and receiving a devastating medical diagnosis, the couple embarked on a 630-mile trek along the South West Coast Path in England.

The 2018 memoir became an instant bestseller, earning critical acclaim for its raw honesty and spiritual depth. It has sold over two million copies and was recently adapted into a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. But now, the book’s legacy is being shaken to its core by allegations that threaten to rewrite the very story readers fell in love with.

On July 7, The Observer published a report claiming Winn — whose real name is Sally Walker — embezzled around £64,000 from a former employer and lied about the circumstances that led to her homelessness. The report further questions the medical condition of her husband Moth — whose real name is reportedly Tim Walker — raising doubts over the legitimacy of the entire memoir.

Speaking to The Guardian, Winn said the report was “highly misleading.”

“The Salt Path lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth and I shared… This is the true story of our journey,” she said, adding that they were seeking legal advice and would not comment further.

The Alleged Truth Behind the Memoir

In The Salt Path, Winn writes that the couple was rendered homeless after investing in the failed business of a childhood friend. The friend allegedly blamed them for the failure and dragged them through a legal battle that culminated in the repossession of their home.

But according to The Observer, the actual story may be more complicated — and damning.

The report states that Sally Walker (Winn) worked as a bookkeeper for a property agency, from which she allegedly took £64,000. To repay the money, the couple borrowed £100,000 from a distant relative of Tim’s, securing the loan against their home. That loan went unpaid, resulting in the home’s repossession in 2013.

Despite the portrayal of having “nowhere to go,” The Observer uncovered property records indicating that the couple owned a house in France, purchased in 2007, which they still own today.

This directly contradicts the central premise of homelessness that formed the emotional bedrock of The Salt Path.

Is Moth Really Terminally Ill?

Even more controversially, the report casts doubt on Moth’s medical diagnosis of Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD) — a rare and progressive neurological disease with an average life expectancy of six to eight years.

Yet, according to the book, Moth has survived 18 years with the illness — while undertaking strenuous physical activities that seem to counter the expected degeneration.

Michele Hu, professor of clinical neuroscience at the University of Oxford, told The Observer,

“I would be very sceptical that it is CBD. I’ve never looked after anyone who has lived that long with it.”

Each of Winn’s subsequent books — The Wild Silence and Landlines — follow a similar formula: a deterioration in Moth’s condition followed by an uplifting physical journey where his health appears to improve. While fans found it deeply moving, critics are now beginning to ask whether it was too good to be true.

Fallout from the Revelations

The backlash has already begun.

PSPA, a leading charity that supports individuals with CBD and had previously collaborated with the Winns, confirmed it has ended its relationship with the couple following the report.

Winn has also withdrawn from the upcoming Saltlines Tour, where she was scheduled to appear alongside The Gigspanner Big Band at various UK venues.

Meanwhile, the film adaptation continues its theatrical run. In a joint statement, production companies Number 9 Films and Shadowplay Features distanced themselves from the controversy:

“The allegations made in The Observer relate to the book and are a matter for the author Raynor Winn. There were no known claims against the book at the time of optioning or producing the film, and we undertook all necessary due diligence.”

What Happens to Her Next Book?

A fourth memoir, On Winter Hill, is scheduled for release this October under Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Books. The publisher has declined to comment on whether the release will still go ahead in light of the controversy.

The Winn saga raises complex questions about truth in memoir, the fine line between storytelling and fabrication, and the responsibility of publishers and producers to fact-check deeply personal narratives that are marketed as non-fiction.

While Winn insists that every word in The Salt Path is true, readers and supporters are left to grapple with one daunting question:

What if the story that made millions believe… was never entirely real?

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