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)

Great hike, ruined by sleaze

Strayed is a terrific storytellers, and I'm glad she did the narration. But her graphic detail of her addiction to sex and her obsession with getting laid was neither a turn-on nor relevant to the story of her PCT adventure. It just made her appear ever a sleazeball, and it diminished her courageous trek. Edit out her sex addiction, or at least throw a literary curtain over it, and Wild would be a total 5 star event.

A story about life and growing up with

A lovely story about hiking the PCTA but more notably a story about life and finding your way after loss, heartbreak and all the growing pains that come with being in your 20s. An amazing read.

Nostalgic for an old woman!

I lived in Washington State in the early 2000s for2 years. I ate at the lodge at Mt. Hood, saw many of the mountains she talked about. The book was like going back in time, I enjoyed it very much. And both my grown daughters read it and loved it.

Easy, Entertaining, Enjoyable

This was just a great listen. I listened to it in a matter of days. The story was inspiring, and fun. Strayed does a great job in her describing her every experience. Fabulous writer. Great storyteller!

I Listened right after Tiny Beautiful Things

As I said about Tiny Beautiful Things, also by Strayed, if the whole world loves a book, the chances are that I’ll hate it (e.g., Eat, Pray, Love—which is probably my least favorite memoir of all time). But since I loved TBT, I thought I’d give Wild a try. I enjoyed it just as much, albeit in a different way.

Tons of reviews for this Wild, and FanB14’s review echoes my thoughts about the book. So I’ll say: so far, this is this best memoir I've read this year, albeit long after everyone else read it. I think I read it at the "right" time. I think it's well suited to reading when you're in
hard place, which doesn't have to be anything like the author's dark place. And you don't have to have any interest in "long haul" backpacking--I've got about zero interest in the subject, but nevertheless found all those details about the hike and nature captured my attention and held it. As did the reason for Strayed's hike.

Not a big fan.

I didn't really enjoy the writing style. Performance was good. Although the book seemed both immature and pretentious. Cheryl just complains the whole time and doesn't really learn anything worthwhile on her hike. She was strong to make it all the way but she treats the smallest inconvenience like it is mt. Everest. So when real trouble comes along it doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. Her mom showed her how to be optimistic and cheerful through tons of hardship and she seems to just love wallowing in her own misery. I didn't hate the book though and it was pretty entertaining at times. I might recommend it to someone else.

Misleading Title

Would you consider the audio edition of Wild to be better than the print version?

Haven't read print version

Would you be willing to try another book from Cheryl Strayed? Why or why not?

Yes ... seems to have led an interesting life

What about Bernadette Dunne???s performance did you like?

Very

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

The description of putting on her backpack was hilarious

Any additional comments?

The book was much more about her time spent off the PCT and the people she met there than her actual hiking time , which was taken up with musings on her past and her mother's death. The title led me to assume the book would be about the author's wilderness experience on the trail itself and what she saw and felt in the mountains so I was disappointed in so much off-trail description , which was

Not bad, but not what I expected.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Cheryl spoke a lot about her personal struggles. Wish it was more about the PCT experience.

What about Bernadette Dunne’s performance did you like?

Good soft voice, easy to listen to.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Nope

Any additional comments?

The author pours her life experiences in this book. Including some questionable behavior. It would have been better if it was less about her feelings and more about her adventure.

Amazing

This was an amazing and truly inspirational read! I've never been interested in hiking for 10 miles let alone for 1100. In fact, I wasn't particularly interested in the book but I'd heard such good things about it from friends I thought I'd check it out. I'm so glad I did. Her narrative is told beautifully with heartbreaking glimpses into her losses. I enjoyed reading about the triumph of her little success as they pile up and become one giant example of what faith and tenacity can create. I'm sure the book and the movie will inspire a generation of young girls to test themselves on the PCT.

Liked the movie better

I enjoyed book but preferred the movie. Don't think I could stand to hear irrevocably any more in the text. Seemed as though the writer was stretching to a word quota.