Thursday, December 26, 2013

Wild by Cheryl Strayed


Take a woman who literally changes her name to "Strayed" after her divorce and put her on the Pacific Crest Trail - by herself- and see what happens. This is the experiment that the author puts herself through in this unique memoir about the quest for truth, personal understanding, and perseverance.

 When I first heard the premise behind this book, I thought it was extremely fascinating. It almost sounded like something I could do. It almost sounded fun. And then I read the book. The journey that Strayed undertakes is not something I could ever do. It did not sound fun. But what it was to Strayed was a life-changing experience where she learned a lot about herself, other people, and nature. She literally gives up all her worldly possessions except for those in a huge pack on her back. She has so little money, that she sends it to herself in boxes along the trail, $20 at a time, so that she can buy certain necessities, like Snapple and hamburgers.This is not something I could do. But it is something I can learn from.

However, it is Strayed's feet that give her the most trouble on this journey. They betray her at every turn, becoming sore and bleeding, until at many points she has to delay her trek just to give them time to heal. But this battle with her feet is, indeed, the most horrifying part of her journey. And that is what I found most amazing.The people along the trail never disappointed her (well, ok, only once). They were friendly, supportive, and positive, including her and making her part of a strung out family of hikers all doing the same thing for different reasons. No one tried to rob her or kill her or harm her in any way. Nature was her cruelest enemy, and that was a very big, and wonderful surprise to me.

While Strayed was too young to be called "middle aged" in the book, her journey is one that screams "mid-life crisis" or "flower child trying to find herself." But it worked for her. The demons that haunted her throughout life, making her seem like a narcissistic flake to some of our book club readers, came to the surface and hiked along with her. And while she may not have gained closure in all aspects of her life (I mean, that would be pretty difficult for most of us to achieve), the journey gave her a kind of peace that allowed her to move on. And isn't that what we all want to do? So, give Strayed's story a try. You might just find yourself in the pages.


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