Gina answers “I haven't read the book yet - I'm waiting...”

A Goodreads user asked this question about Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail:

I haven't read the book yet - I'm waiting for it to come in at the library. She says in the book that she changed her name to Strayed after she divorced her husband. That's very weird. A search on the internet says she has two siblings, both with last names Strayed also. I guess she changed their names too. I've done long distance hiking and on the surface I doubt her integrity. Any comments?

Gina Lora, you doubt her integrity because she changed her name? She was getting divorced. On the divorce papers, it asked what name she was planning to us…moreLora, you doubt her integrity because she changed her name? She was getting divorced. On the divorce papers, it asked what name she was planning to use after the divorce. Some people revert to their maiden name. She felt she wanted a "new" last name since she never really knew her dad, so Nyland had no meaning to her. She learned she could pick anything she wanted, and Strayed fit her, for a number of reasons, not just because she strayed in her marriage, Diane. I don't find her narcissistic at all. This book IS, after all, a memoir, so it IS all about her...duh. I found the book very honest. She is honest about the stupid things she did, the ways she screwed up her life, and the things she learned about herself along the trail. I thought it was great.(less)

flag

Lora I did go on to read her book and found it very authentic. She was a young woman in crisis, and she found herself out there. For me it was less about h ...more
Dec 31, 2016 05:01AM · flag

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more