Wild by Cheryl Strayed

I started reading Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (Vintage) by Cheryl Strayed with some resistance. I had heard many people gushing about Wild, and, far too often, I am disappointed by books people gush about. I tried to temper my expectations as I started the book. My resistance faded quickly. Strayed writes honestly, sometimes brutally, about her life and her experiences. The words often felt so raw they rubbed against my comfort zone bringing old insecurities, stupid decisions, and brazen moves to the surface. I winced in recognition of emotional states and shook at my head at decisions I would never have made because I wanted to change the trajectory of Strayed experiences. Wild immerses the reader in Strayed's decision making, or sometimes lack thereof. Strayed takes the reader along on a ride that at times feels like being pulled onto a trail without full knowledge of what one is doing just as was Strayed's experience. I felt immersed in the book to the point, my feet ached from her shoes as she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and my back tensed as she struggled with her backpack. My heart ached as she faced her mother's illness and death. I winced more than once as she struggled with family issues. As Strayed recounted her encounters with people both on the trail and off, she proves no matter how many people surround us, we can find ourselves alone and no matter how alone we feel, there are people with whom we can connect. Wild offers a wild hike through one woman's journey of healing and discovery.