Cheryl is on a mission to reset her life. Her mother’s passing, unchecked drug use, and some negative influences have taken her down a dark path. Her plan is simple: hike the Pacific Coast Trail. She puts together her hiking pack, sets up replenishment boxes to be delivered at strategic points, and sets out. But that first day shows her just unprepared she is – the pack is much too heavy, her shoes are too small, and the food she brought is horrible. Through the kindness of strangers and friends she makes on the trail, Cheryl discovers her strength and the determination to do something better with her life.
Cheryl Strayed is an author of 4 books, a speaker, and a podcast host. Her memoir Wild: From lost to found on the Pacific Coast Trail recounts her months walking the trail in 1995 from California through to the Washington border with Oregon. Published in 2012, the book was later adapted into the 2014 Academy Award nominated film starring and produced by Reese Witherspoon. The book has received wide acclaim and was a New York Times Best Seller for several weeks. This memoir is truly about finding your strength to move on when your life is turned upside down.
I give Wild 4 out of 5 stars. I went into this book without reading many reviews, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. With vivid descriptions and narratives that make the reader feel as though they are on the trail, too, this book connected with me in a way I was not expecting. However, a few of the other hikers Cheryl encounters on the trail felt a little disconnected. While this is a memoir about Cheryl’s personal journey, the impact certain hikers made on her is important to her story and their stories could have been developed more.
Given the discussions of drug use and sex with multiple partners, this book should be directed to more mature audiences over the age of 16. If you are interested in hiking the Pacific Coast Trail or it’s Eastern US cousin the Appalachian Trail, I would recommend this book – it shows many of the challenges novice hikers face and how dangerous being unprepared can truly be. I would also recommend this book for book clubs – there is so much to discuss about Cheryl’s choices!
I have wanted to read Wild since I watched “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” and the part where Loreli attempts to recreate Cheryl’s walk, but backs out really quick is true Loreli Gilmore fashion. I chose the book for my November memoir and was not disappointed. Strayed has also written one novel and two self-help books that have made their way to my TBR stack! Have you walked the PCT or AT? I’d love to know if your experiences were similar to what Cheryl faced on the trail!
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2 thoughts on “Wild”