The author explains how she discovered she had a secret half-brother--a youthful "mistake" by her mother who grew up neglected and abused in an uncaring foster system--and explores how their different upbringings impacted their destinies.

"The spellbinding story of Chris McCandless, who gave away his savings, hitchhiked to Alaska, walked into the wilderness alone, and starved to death in 1992, fascinated not just New York Times bestselling author Jon Krakauer, but also the rest of the nation. Krakauer's book, Into the Wild, became an international bestseller, translated into thirty-one languages, and Sean Penn's inspirational film by the same name further skyrocketed Chris McCandless...