Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2015 Reading Challenge [Closed]

Apr 13, 2012 Kelly rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, my-top-ten-of-2012, memoir

If we had the option, I might give this 4.5 stars, but I'm bumping it up to 5 since I lean in that direction. I found Wild really resonated with me. I lost my mom when I was 36, not 22, but it was and continues to be the single most awful experience of my life. I was "lost" for a long time afterward, crying frequently, aching to talk to my mom again, to seek out her advice, to hear her comforting voice and infectious laugh. Fortunately for me, I had a supportive husband and three children who ke If we had the option, I might give this 4.5 stars, but I'm bumping it up to 5 since I lean in that direction. I found Wild really resonated with me. I lost my mom when I was 36, not 22, but it was and continues to be the single most awful experience of my life. I was "lost" for a long time afterward, crying frequently, aching to talk to my mom again, to seek out her advice, to hear her comforting voice and infectious laugh. Fortunately for me, I had a supportive husband and three children who kept me going during that time. I could easily put myself in Cheryl's shoes and imagine how I might've handled it if I'd lost my mom when I was in my early 20's, before I was married and/or when I didn't have children. I've had other times in my life where I was working through something difficult and didn't always make the best choice and it's certainly possible I would've done the same thing without the support of my family after losing my mom.

Cheryl made a lot of unhealthy choices during the time between losing her mom and hiking the PCT. I don't judge her for it. She, like all of us, is a flawed human being just trying to figure things out. I admire her decision to do something major to shake things up in her life and to help her get her life back on track. I've known people who stay in that rut of mistake after mistake and never seem to learn from it. Cheryl decided she needed to get out of that unhealthy rut and change her life for the better and she chose a unique way to do it.

I loved reading about Cheryl's experiences on the trail, the things she saw and the people she met along the way. Her story was well-written, compelling and difficult to put down. It gave me faith in humanity. It inspired me to work through some of the feelings I still have about losing my mom almost 7 years ago. I think a good memoir not only gives us something enjoyable to read but also makes us think about some part of our own life that relates, even in some very small way.

Don't avoid this book because it seems to be "the" book to read right now. It's worth it and I think it has earned much of the hype it's received.
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Jun 21, 2015 Valerie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, popsugar-2015-challenge, non-fiction, memoir, spiritual, contemporary, biography-memoir

This is a very honest book about a young woman who had lost her way, due to the tragic loss of her mother at too early an age. Cheryl sets out to find herself, pull herself away from the edge, and resolve her feelings by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail; or 1100 miles of it. In a very real way, this book, her memoir, is a metaphor for her life. Along the trail, she faces desolation, loss, loneliness, betrayal of herself by herself, and she suffers tremendous physical and emotional pain. She also f ...more

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May 11, 2015 Sara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-reads

I chose this book for the "Book Made Into a Movie" selection on my 2015 reading challenge list, and I was not disappointed. The movie is on my to watch list, but I have not watched it yet. I really enjoyed this book - except for the part where she describes putting down her mother's beloved horse. I truly hope that was not re-created for the movie. Strayed writes with humor, humility, and honesty about her downward spiral after the death of her mother, the end of her mother, and her use of heroi ...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Sherry BK rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5 stars

I just hiked a portion of the Superior Hiking Trail. This book was inspirational and entertaining. After I complete the SHT, I just might go for the PCT!

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Jan 31, 2015 Katrina marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

saved for 2015 book challenge: possibly a book that became a movie, a book by a female author, a book a friend recommended, a book based on a true story, a memoir

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Dec 18, 2012 ktouton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I loved this book. I realize a book about someone hiking for weeks to "discover" herself is not a book everyone will like. I admire anyone who can actually hike the AT or the PCT.

I would consider this book a cross between a "coming of age" book and a "discovering myself" book. It is not about how hard the trail is or how to prepare for the trail. You do learn a little bit about both in how poorly the author was prepared to do a hike of this nature. ...more

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Jan 06, 2015 Hannah Norman rated it liked it · review of another edition

I liked this book, but not for the reason I think I was supposed to. Instead of seeing this as an empowering story of a young woman going out on her own on a grand adventure, I saw this as a type of parody. Here goes a young girl without any experience on a dangerous trek completely unprepared. The fact that she survived without injury is humorous in itself! With that, the writing was great and the story was interesting.

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