Wild. A journey from lost to found

[Anne-Marie]

At twenty-six Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's rapid death from cancer, her family drifted apart and her marriage crumbled. With nothing left to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to walk eleven-hundred miles of the west coast of America and do it alone. She had no experience of long distance hiking and the journey was nothing more than a line on a map. But it held a promise: a promise of piecing together a life that lay shattered at her feet...

I saw this book recommended by Emma Watson and, having just finished The Salt Path, another book about self discovery through walking, I decided to give it a go to compare and contrast. I was not disappointed.

To begin with, there is little comparison between the two. Although both were enjoyable in their own right, Wild was a much grittier, intense book. There were no holds barred in terms of realism and honesty. Cheryl Strayed offered the warts and all version of her life and struggles. As she takes up her challenge she strips herself of the trappings of modern life and conveniences, finding peace in a simpler version of herself.

Despite the book covering hard themes, particularly the death of her mother, that I found so heartbreaking in it's honesty and emotion, her subsequent spiral into drugs and casual sex leading to the breakdown of her marriage, the book was uplifting, powerful and life affirming.Strayed's strength, humour and determination are evident but it is her self-realisation and acceptance of herself that is the message that stays with you when you close the book.