Wild

From Lost to Found on the Pacific Trail

Hardcover

English language

Published Nov. 7, 2012 by Alfred A. Knopf.

ISBN:
978-0-307-59273-6
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5 stars (1 review)

A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again. At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she'd lost everything when her mother died young of cancer. Her family scattered in their grief, her marriage was soon destroyed, and slowly her life spun out of control. Four years after her mother's death, with nothing more to lose, Strayed made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker--indeed, she'd never gone backpacking before her first night on the trail. Her trek was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone. …

13 editions

Review of 'Wild' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I tend not to read nonficiton too often, yet I really enjoyed this book. The main reason was the parallels between her narrative and Joseph Campbell's monomyth, or the hero's journey. You can argue whether or not she is a real hero and what she got in the end, but the fact remains that her story draws elements from the monomyth which, in my opinion, makes it more appealing to a broader audience.
The story is one of acceptance: her life hasn't been that great and she's made some bad decisions along the way, but her arduous trip gives her a new perspective and allows her to accept herself for who she is and learn to be happy. She may not explicitly state what new insight she gained or exactly when or how she changed, but by the end you realize: she doesn't have to.

For my full review, see: …

Subjects

  • Travel
  • American Authors
  • Biography
  • Description and travel

Places

  • Pacific Crest Trail