The Honest Truth is a middle-grade coming-of-age novel by Dan Gemeinhart, a former elementary school teacher and librarian who won the Parents’ Choice Award Gold Medal for another one of his five novels. The book was published on January 23, 2015. The novel incorporates drama and a bit of poetry to narrate the story of twelve-year-old protagonist Mark who has spent most of his life in hospitals receiving cancer treatments. Now, Mark takes his fate into his own hands: He will run away from home, climb a mountain, and—along the way—learn lessons about himself and his place in the world. This guide uses the 2016 Scholastic Press paperback edition.

Plot Summary

Mark and his mutt, Beau, run away from home and board a train to Seattle. The doctors recently confirmed that his cancer has returned, but Mark decides to begin a different mission: climb to the top of Mt. Rainier without anyone’s help. In Seattle, he orders dinner in a dingy diner. He develops a splitting headache, reluctantly swallows his prescription pills, and slowly eats his food. Unfortunately, the medications weaken Mark’s stomach, and he vomits his meal in the bathroom. The waitress, who notices that Mark lacks supervision and hears him get sick, offers to help him, but her concern only angers Mark. He storms off into the dark city, where he soon notices a group of teenage thugs following him from the shadows. Mark moves faster, but the thugs catch up. They beat Mark and take his money until Beau escapes from the duffel bag and chases the thugs away.

Mark wakes the next morning thinking he’s dead; he even hears angels singing. He soon realizes that the singing comes from women cooking fresh Mexican food in a nearby restaurant kitchen. He follows the singing and aromas, then darts past the kitchen to clean himself in the staff bathroom. The “angels” spot him walking out, and they let him use the telephone and give him warm food. Mark almost uses his phone call to surrender his location, but he reports a false lead to the authorities at the last moment.

Mark and Beau catch a bus out of Seattle, and a six-year-old red-headed girl named Shelby sits next to him. At first, he ignores her stream of questions, but he eventually takes an interest in her story: She’s traveling to visit her dad’s new house, but she’s angry at how her parents’ divorce affected her and plans to refuse to speak to her dad the entire weekend. Mark encourages her to set aside her anger and even writes her a haiku “about not being mad” (93).

Mark leaves the bus and, because of his prematurely depleted budget, sneaks onto a shuttle heading up the mountain. The driver notices partway through the trip and demands Mark gets off before arriving at the destination. The driver tells Mark to wait in a cafe until the shuttle’s return trip so he can catch a ride home, but Mark stubbornly continues upward on foot. After a while, rain starts pouring, and Mark looks for a dry place to rest. He discovers a sandy island in a river covered by a bridge, and he walks across a log to reach it. Unfortunately, he missteps and tumbles into the river’s strong, icy currents. Beau follows and helps him swim to the island safely. Mark manages to start a fire and strip off his soaking clothes, camping there until the following morning.

Mark continues walking until a truck slows and its driver, a park service biologist named Wesley, tells him to hop in. Wesley quickly recognizes Mark from missing child news reports. Their conversation alternates between Wesley nudging Mark to go home and Wesley listening to Mark’s story. Eventually, Wesley releases Mark at the park’s visitor center, promising him only a couple of hours’ head start before informing the authorities. Mark enters the visitor’s center, buys some snacks, and uses a payphone to briefly call his best friend, Jessie. Then, he begins hiking the mountain.

A dangerous snowstorm threatens Mark’s life, but he persists through the cold, knowing he doesn’t have the proper gear or supplies to survive. Beau bounds beside Mark and warns him when he spots a dangerous crevasse ahead. Mark leaps over the crevasse successfully, but Beau falls. Mark manages to heave him back up to safety with a rope. Lying on the ground with Beau, Mark watches the clouds clear and reveal Mt. Rainier ahead, and he realizes how much he not only needs his family and friends’ help, but he wants it. He descends the mountain until he stumbles from pain, hunger, and exhaustion, and he closes his eyes to die.

Meanwhile, Mark’s best friend Jessie remains at home with Mark’s parents, anxious about finding Mark. Jessie quickly realizes Mark’s destination, but she also knows Mark wouldn’t want her to tell anyone. Throughout the story, she feels torn between how best to help Mark: telling an adult so Mark can return home safely or remaining loyal to his dying wish. Toward the end, she decides, but whether she calls the authorities or not remains ambiguous.

The authorities search the mountain. Beau finds them and leads them to Mark’s location. They rush Mark to the hospital, where—against all odds—he wakes a few days later. He tells Jessie all about the journey and asks her to write his story. She agrees and begins writing the first lines that appear in the first chapter.