Wild, By Cheryl Strayed, Review

Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, is a masterful journey through a troubled young woman's eyes. Strayed’s personal battles with addiction, loss of her mother, divorce, and physical obstacles are shared with the reader in a true account of one woman's 1,100 mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail. Wild is not just a novel about some long distance hike; it is a story about the journey a 26 year old woman takes to find her soul.

Strayed’s trek along the Pacific Crest Trail happened by accident. A series of mishaps and tragedy lead her to REI, an outdoors outfitter, where she by chance sees a guide book on the Pacific Crest Trail. This inspired her to sell her personal belongings, buy all the gear she could afford, and set off for the journey of a lifetime. There was just one problem; she had no experience hiking long distances. While I was reading, I couldn't help but to think about the old saying "All things happen for a reason." Wild pulls at your emotions with stories of her mother's early death, the decomposition of her family, the erosion of her marriage, and her recent use of heroin. On the trail, besides her many internal conflicts, Strayed has to deal with the lack of long distance hiking experience, issues with her feet, encounters with wild animals, heat, lack of water, record snowfalls in the mountains, the fact that she had too much gear.  I found Strayed’s tales of her overstuffed, overweight backpack, named Monster, to be hilarious.  

The Pacific Crest Trail, for even the most avid hiker, is difficult.  For a novice with no prior experience, it is near impossible. Strayed is the exception.  Her perseverance is inspiring.  During the whole book I kept asking myself, "What would I do?"  The characters Strayed meets along the way are colorfully portrayed.  At one point in the story Strayed is set up in a camp and a creepy ranger invites her to his cabin.  Instead of showing up alone that night, as the ranger expected, she brings a few of her fellow hikers. Strayed describes the scene is such a way that draws one in to the setting. Strayed does an extraordinary job of crafting her dialog to bring the scene to life.

I have seen some reviews on Amazon and some outdoor sites that are not favorable.  The unfavorable reviews seem for come from hiking purists who see the book to be more about Strayed and her personal issues and less about the hike.  I would say that the mix between Strayed’s personal demons and the hike itself is fifty fifty. The book never claims to be an outdoors adventure guide. The main theme of Wild is survival. Even though there is plenty about hiking and the physical aspects of the journey, there is also the story of the survival of one's own being.  When she finally reaches her physical goal, the end of the trail, she has accomplished something more than a physical feat.  She has found herself and her mother's spirit within her.

I was addicted to Stray's character. The story was fashioned in a manner that made it easy to find the wholesomeness in this very confused woman. The text spilled from the pages compelling me to escape the chaos of society and immerse myself hiking for an extended period of time . I am sure I am not the only one inspired by Wild. I confident that a new generation has been touched by Strayed’s story and inspired to use nature as a remedy for one’s personal struggles.  I kept thinking to myself, "If she could do it, I could do it."

As an outcome of reading Wild, I have planned a solo bicycle ride from Vancouver (or Seattle if my passport doesn't arrive by June) to San Francisco this spring.  Just as Strayed by chance found the Pacific Crest Trail, I have found the Pacific Coast ride.  Will I have the adventures that Strayed had along the way? Maybe. Will I find clarity or purpose? I hope!  But in the end, I'm sure I will thinking of the words of the Grateful Dead, "What a long strange trip it's been."