Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
reviewed by Sophie Johnson
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed is an autobiography and a book full of memoirs written throughout Cheryl’s journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. She began this 1100 mile hike when everything in her life seemed to crumble to bitts. Her mother got cancer and died and she ended up making bad decisions and messed up her relationship with her husband, Paul. Before the journey Cheryl felt like she had completely lost her self. She believed for her to be found, she had to get lost first. She decided to hike the PCT alone. This would mean months of being solitary, giving her the courage to face her emotions and fears. This journey would give her the time to fix her self.
Throughout the journey she completely changes mentally and emotionally. The trail pushes Cheryl to her breaking limit, from the freezing cold nights to the 95 degree heat. She learns how to survive in the wild and become an independent woman. Cheryl becomes a role model and an inspiration to her readers and the other PCT hikers. Some of the male hikers had sexist beliefs about her hiking alone. They believed that she would not succeed without a man. As Strayed conquers the wild her readers become invested in how she deals with her problems.
Strayed has her readers understand the dirtiness she feels for not showering for weeks straight, to the pure relief that sets in when she puts on clean clothes and takes a shower. Through her struggle of surviving she emphasizes the importance of resources like water, food, shelter, and energy, that sometimes we take for granted. She highlights the importance of family and friends through her stories about her love for her mother. Cheryl also represents a strong beautiful young woman, a feminism, who grows stronger as she carries herself on the PCT. The book beautifully combines Cheryl’s physical journey through the PCT and her emotional journey as one.
No comments:
Post a Comment