Wild

From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

By: Cheryl Strayed

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Wild is a powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an 1100-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe - and built her back up again.

At 22, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State - and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone.

Strayed faced down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls, and both the beauty and loneliness of the trail. Told with great suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

©2012 Cheryl Strayed (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

“No one can write like Cheryl Strayed. Wild is one of the most unflinching and emotionally honest books I've read in a long time. It is about forgiveness and grief, bravery and hope. It is unforgettable.” (Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle)

“While reading Cheryl Strayed’s stunning book about her arduous solo journey along the Pacific Crest Trail, I kept asking myself - what would I do if I were stripped bare of everything - money, job, community, even family and love? Thoreau once said, ‘In wildness is the preservation of the world.’ For Strayed, it is clear that in wildness was the preservation of her soul. She reminds us, in her lyrical and courageous memoir Wild, of what it means to be fully alive, even in the face of catastrophe, physical and psychic hardship, and loss." (Mira Bartók, author of The Memory Palace)

“Cheryl Strayed can sure tell a story. In Wild, she describes her journey from despair to transcendence with honesty, humor, and heart-cracking poignancy. This is a great book.” (Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia and Seeking Peace)

Amazing Book!

This is one of my favorite books now! Not only is this book about the PCT, but it's a story of her personal development. I didn't want the book to end! It inspired me!

Spectacularly Emotional (but boring at times)

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book. It was a great story about a woman who is feeling lost and actually goes out and does something about it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wild?

The parts where Cheryl talked about her mother. I was often in tears whenever she spoke about her mother.

What does Bernadette Dunne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She has a very pleasant voice to listen to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

All of the moments Cheryl spends recalling her mother whom she loved so dearly. There is also a scene with her mother's horse that was particularly gut wrenching and emotional.

Any additional comments?

It could get boring and monotonous at times with the constant descriptions of landscapes and hiking, but it is well worth the listen to experience the intense moments of reflection Cheryl has about herself and her life throughout.

Truly a life impacting story

This is one of those rare pieces of literature you will always remember , Cheryl Strayed has written a book that should be read by all, young or old

Yeah, I have mommy isses, too.

What did you like best about Wild? What did you like least?

I love hiking trail stories -- A Walk in the Woods, etc. -- but I don't really can't get interested in somebody's parent problems. Save them for someone who cares.
The trail stories were good -- first time I heard from a woman hiking alone; different problems.

What was most disappointing about Cheryl Strayed’s story?

Have you read Mommy Dearest?

Do you think Wild needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Not for me.

True Expression

Just yesterday I did a day hike to Elk Meadows an hour and a half away from where I live near Portland. On my way home I decided to find the PCT...a section close to Timberline Lodge. I stood there on a piece of trail Cheryl Strayed had walked 22 years earlier. It was so quiet. I looked at the trail marker and imagined her seeing it too. It was so inspiring especially because I had just been listening to her book on my way to the hike. It gave me the courage to cross some shaky logs over a pretty raging stream! (I might be exaggerating a bit) It was brave for me! I felt so alive. Then later I got to stand where she did. I guess this is more of a testament of the affects Wild than a review of the book itself. I loved it because it's an expression of her heart. Truly empowering!

Loved it

So descriptive, felt like I was in the woods with her.
Very brave, very gutsy, what a mountain mama. Saw the movie but still wanted to have on audible.

Well balanced story

Was anxious to hear about people and wildlife she met, as well as knowing what happened after. Listened on our way back and forth to Adirondacks.

A Dream Accomplishment

Wild took me along on Cheryl's journey and has inspired me to not say I cannot achieve a dream. It was sad for me to finish this fantastic journey.

Amazing journey

The concept of mixing the present with lots of flashbacks sounded unappealing to me, but Cheryl Strayed did an amazing job of tying her story together. Instead of coming out jumbled, each look into her past only digs deeper into who she is as a woman. A great listen for anyone who enjoys a strong female lead who can admit she isn't always right or prepared.

Worth a listen

Solidly crafted, entertaining. Not the best writing I've read overall, but there were many with genuinely sublime moments. Mispronounciations of some key words irked me (like 'mandalas), hence the lower rating for performance.