I am not normally a fan of Oprah Book Club books, but I had heard that Wild | Cheryl Strayed was good. The book starts out a little on the sad side as you read about Cheryl Strayed’s mom being diagnosed with cancer and her death.
Several of my friends on Goodreads (are you on Goodreads? Click here to add me as a friend) enjoyed this book and when I was notified by my library that it was available for me to download to my Kindle I thought I’d give it a read. Then just after downloading it, I read a review that just ripped this book apart. Yikes, I was scared I’d be getting myself into another book that I wouldn’t enjoy.
In Wild Cheryl Strayed takes a very drastic course of action, one that quite frankly I wouldn’t have the guts to chose. She decides to hike the PCT or Pacific Crest Trail all by herself. Yup, you read that correctly. She decided to set out on this journey with only the things that will fit in her rather large backpack she affectionately calls “monster.” The PCT is a trail that runs from Mexico all the way up to Canada.
I know from reading Wild that the PCT doesn’t look this gorgeous in every spot because frequently during Cheryl Strayed’s journey she encountered a snow covered path. As Cheryl travels northward she encounters other PCT hikers, wildlife and even the loss of her boots. As Cheryl hikes the 1,000+ miles she struggles with the death of her mother and the dissolution of both her family and her marriage.
While the book does have its sad times, reading about how a real person overcomes such hardships in her life is inspiring. As I said, I could never take this journey that Cheryl Strayed did in Wild, but I found her journey inspiring. I am so glad I read this book and hope that you’ll give it a read too.
If you’re library doesn’t have Wild on their shelves, head on over to Amazon to order a copy!
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