BC Reads!
  • Home
  • Book Reviews
    • Student Reviews
    • Faculty/Staff Contributions
    • Illustrations
    • Sort Reviews... >
      • All
      • Alphabetically by Title
      • Alphabetically by Author
      • Alphabetically by Genre
      • Alphabetically by Reviewer
      • Faculty/Staff Contributions
  • Events
    • Boston Book Events
    • News and Events
  • Get Involved!
    • Become a Member
    • Submit a Review
    • Volunteer >
      • Saint Columbkille Partnership School
    • Donate Used Books
    • Become an Illustrator >
      • Work with a Reviewer
      • Design a Bookmark
      • Work on the Publicity Team
  • Resources
    • Where Can I Find Books For Free?
    • Local Bookstores
    • Useful Websites
    • Other
  • About
    • Executive Board
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff Members
    • Special Contributions
  • Contact
  • Untitled

"Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Cheryl Strayed 

12/2/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Title: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
Author: Cheryl Strayed
Genre(s): Memoir
# Pages: 336
Date published: March 20, 2012
5-star rating: 5 stars
Would you recommend it? Yes

Recently I was wondering through Barnes & Noble, when I stumbled across this book on one of the New York Times Bestsellers tables.  In 2012, the book maintained the number one spot on the list for seven consecutive weeks.  The book was also the first choice on Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 list in 2012.  Since this is a book club memoir, it was an extremely fast read.  I finished Wild in five days.

At age 22, Cheryl Strayed loses her mother to cancer.  The events surrounding her mother’s death take an emotional toll on her.  While Strayed’s mother is dying, her brother and sister distance themselves and continue to do so after the loss.  Her stepfather also becomes completely absent from her life afterward.  All of this forces Strayed to bottle in her emotions and leaves her feeling alone.  Her husband, as hard as he tries, cannot provide enough comfort.  They drift apart as a result from Strayed’s infidelity, heroin use, and lack of investment in the marriage.

As a result at age 26, Strayed wants to piece her life back together.  She admits that she still loves her ex-husband when she sets out, but she now wants to find and love herself.  The only way to find herself is to do it alone.  While wondering through a gift shop one day, she stumbles across The Pacific Crest Trail, Volume 1: California.  While she does not buy the book that day, the trail stays at the back of her mind.  Eventually, after making the decision three times, Strayed sells the few things she owns, packs her backpack, and goes to the Mojave Desert to begin her 1,100 mile journey on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) north to the Bridge of the Gods.

The PCT is one of the toughest hikes in the United States.  Strayed has no real or substantial experience hiking or living out in the wild.  Most of the people she meets are groups of young men.  While she is a woman traveling alone, by the end of her journey she exceeds others’ expectations and earns the hiker name “Queen.”  Many times she declines offers to join a group so that her only companion becomes her backpack that she names “Monster.”

Strayed weaves together her past and the hike into a seamless tale of self-discovery.  Her anecdotes make the story believable and relatable.  In the beginning, she cannot even lift her backpack without falling down.  By the end, she can hike 20 miles in a single day.  While she is a bit arrogant in the first few days of her journey, the overall experience humbles her and helps her realize who she is on her own.  Each day of her hike has a different event that keeps your attention so that you end up cheering for her as the story progresses.

I would recommend this book to anyone because it is a classical identity story.  Since Strayed is in her late twenties, it is better geared toward women in college.  Her reflections can provide insight into the reader’s own life.  You do not need to be from the west coast or a hiker to enjoy this book.  Strayed writes in a manner that makes the long journey seem to fly by for the reader.



Review by Liz Handler, A&S '15


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Who are the authors?

    These book reviews have been submitted by BC Reads! Staff Writers and other Boston College students.

    Archives

    December 2014
    November 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    Categories

    All
    Andrew Ireland
    Anne Donnelly
    Autobiography
    Biography
    Brittany Duncan
    Caitlin Mason
    Caroline Grindrod
    Chris Mclaughlin
    Christie Wentworth
    Christine Degenaars
    Colleen Brady
    Fantasy
    Fiction
    General Fiction
    General Non Fiction
    General Non-fiction
    Hallie Sullivan
    Historical Fiction
    Historical Non Fiction
    Historical Non-Fiction
    Horror
    Humor
    Immigration
    Jennifer Heine
    Julia Walker
    Kayla D'Ambrosio
    Kristie Dickinson
    Laura Baumgartner
    Lauren Bly
    Lauren Schlacks
    Liz Handler
    Maria Peroni
    Memoir
    Michael Solah
    Molly Saint
    Morgan Healy
    Movie Franchise
    Mystery
    Non Fiction
    Non-fiction
    Patrick Hughes
    Pulitzer Prize
    Quick Read
    Romantice Fiction
    Satire
    Science Fiction
    Serena Gibbons
    Short Stories
    Steven Nicholas
    Suspense
    Tashrika Sharma
    Thriller
    William Hwang
    Yande Lombe

    RSS Feed


Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.