Wild by Cheryl Strayed

The initial vibe I got from this book was so wrong. Years ago, when there was a big buzz surrounding this book (even Gilmore Girls had an episode paying homage!) I imagined it being another self-indulgent Eat Pray Love wine/whine fest and I ran far, far away from it. Until a few weeks ago, when a respected individual at work who is an avid hiker suggested it. I was dubious but decided to give it a try on audio. Turns out, I loved it! It did remind me a bit of Eat Pray Love in that Cheryl makes some really unsound decisions that put her at risk while she is out on the trail. But it is very unlike that other book in that Cheryl, at the time of writing Wild, seems very self-aware and shares her thoughts and the details of the adventure of her hike along the Pacific Crest trail with such unfailing honesty and heart that I could not help but feel engaged by the story. She talks about the death of her mom and how it affected her and how the extended hike, away from civilization with only what she could carry and relying so heavily on just herself, helped her put her broken self back together. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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