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)

Pure and Authentic

It wasn't until a young woman isolated herself from society that she truly experiences human connection. This story is pure and authentic, a must read for anyone that wants to experience a glimpse into human vulnerability. Cheryl bravely tells her story about her life in a beautiful raw adaptation, and how she found human strength through her journey.

Hiking inspiration for fellow book nerds!

I really enjoyed the personal perspectives and excellent writing skills bringing this story to life. Narration was also spot on. Recommended for anyone wanting to hear about the realities of thru-hiking shared as if talking to a friend.

amazing read!

loved it! inspiring and motivating. looking forward to starting some long distance hiking and backpacking myself very soon.

Amazing

If you could sum up Wild in three words, what would they be?

Funny, deep, insightful.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main "character." This is based on the authors life and I enjoyed her personality, triumph and honesty.

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

I felt like the author herself was reading the book to me...or telling me her story. I could not wait to listen any chance I got.

Great!

Loved this book, but did not like the narrator at all. She sounded like a middle aged woman not a twenty something. I don't know, it annoyed me.

slow but enjoyable

listened to this everyday for a month. great story! inspiring, funny and a few moments of suspense.

Great escape

Loved the refreshing burst of inspiration and girl power. I didn't want her journey to end! Makes me want to drop everything and hike the PCT.

Wildly entertaining

An amazingly and beautifully written book. There's nothing quite like it. The only drawback, was I wish it was read by the author.

Loved it

If you could sum up Wild in three words, what would they be?

Young woman hits reset button

Who was your favorite character and why?

Cheryl is lost after her hippie mother's death, but finds a way through hiking the PCT to restart her life.

What about Bernadette Dunne’s performance did you like?

The reader's voice matched the personality of young Cheryl - Ms. Dunne's voice seemed almost like it was the voice in Cheryl's head.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Girl hiker finds her life.

Any additional comments?

Enjoyed it immensely!

Time to go hiking

As an avid hiker I loved this book. I also loved the strength of character that Cheryl possesses. I'm hiking the John Muir Trail this summer. Cheryl has inspired me to do the PCT.