"Wild" is an enchanting autobiographical adventure that will have you turning each page with delight from start to finish. Before the summer is out, pick it up and discover just exactly where it will draw you.
The author, Cheryl Strayed, sets off on a long journey to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, or PCT, from California to Washington completely on her own during the summer months. Both her physical and emotional blunders and successes display her humble and humane spirit. Her unapologetic truth and the rawness of the story is a reminder any reader that their personal goals can be obtained even with some tough terrain along the way.
When this young woman from Minnesota sets out on her journey, she knew not how she would be changed in the aftermath. Cheryl carries with her an abundance of emotional distress which trailed her from the passing away of her mother a few months before making the decision to prepare for this daring solo hike.
Cheryl Strayed’s story portrayed in this memoir is an honest depiction of grief and perseverance that anyone who is coping with a similar loss will be able to relate to.
The layout of the memoir keeps reader’s emotions and attention in check. The book has a main story line, the present story of her day by day events on the PCT, but also ties in past events of her relations, family members and drug-use to truly display who she was as a person before the reader meets her and how she later found herself on the trail. Her story comes full circle in this unique portrayal of a timeline.
"Wild" was the first book that I read in a long time after a lengthy slump of only reading works that were in class assignments -- not exactly something I like to admit to as an English major, but I couldn’t have read it at a more perfect time. After finishing a semester of travels, home felt “empty.” "Wild" reminded me not to lose the soul that I carried with me throughout my solo adventure and excursions. Summers can be daunting times, either different from the rest of the work year or for those who are in school like me, it is often hard to find a new life balance after having so many responsibilities and finals to suddenly being free.
Even with summer jobs filling your time with plenty of hours, the work is not typically considered fulfilling, and you are often found to be filled with dread that you’re not taking advantage of the weather as much as you should be, whatever that means.
"Wild" is a book that can aid in centering these emotions. In the midst of reading, this book will instill a desire to find your own Pacific Crest Trail. Maybe you will set a new physical goal for yourself, maybe you will create personal writing entries over a period of time similar to Cheryl’s or maybe you will simply take a drive to a different part of town or see something new entirely. Wherever you are led, I’m sure you will see, just as Cheryl did, how “wild” some things really can be when they are new, and I’m certain you will see why this book was a fantastic addition to you and your summer endeavors.
Now, after you read, you can check out the movie version that came out! It's still on my list as a must watch!
