Book Review: Wild by Cheryl Strayed (Oprah's Book Club)

Wild (Oprah's Book Club 2.0 Digital Edition): From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Author: Cheryl Strayed

Publisher: Knopf (June 1, 2012)

About the Author
Cheryl Strayed is the author of three books: WILD, a memoir , TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS, a selection of her "Dear Sugar" columns from TheRumpus.net, and TORCH, a novel .
She holds an MFA in fiction writing from Syracuse University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota.



A Life Lost And Found
Cheryl Strayed was dealing with grief and a loss of direction in her life. She could not move forward because she was stuck in the muck of the past. Her mother had died of cancer, her family had scattered and her marriage was broken. One day she noticed a booklet about Pacific Crest Trail in a store where she was shopping. She later went back and bought the booklet and started planning a trip that would change her life forever.

This book is a true story about Cheryl Strayed's solitary hike from California to Washington state. She did not have any hiking experience but her spirit was compelling her to do this. She learned that she was stronger and more courageous than she ever imagined. She completed the 1100 mile hike and escaped the demons that had haunted her in the past.

My Thoughts
Cheryl Strayed shared the physical and spiritual journey that she experienced when she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 1995. I had never heard of this trail and knew very little about hiking and camping when I started this book.

I felt like I was hiking right along with Cheryl as she faced heat, cold, hunger, loneliness, pain and many other challenges on the trail. She expressed the feelings that we all feel when we doubt ourselves and our capabilities. She was not defeated by the hardships that she faced during her journey. She proved to herself that she had what it takes to survive and thrive in a world that sometimes seems hostile and dangerous. She did not give up when she found herself in seemingly hopeless situations.

Cheryl had been running from herself and her feelings for her entire life. This journey gave her time to be alone and realize that her life was just as it should be and that she could accept herself just the way she was.

This book will challenge you to try things that are difficult. It will inspire you to do the impossible. The questions and comments in the Oprah's Book Club edition of this book are excellent. This is the kind of book that you will want to share with your friends and family members. Highly Recommended!

My Rating:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I purchased this digital book with my own funds. The large link at the top of this post is my Amazon affiliate link.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Oprah's New Book Club 2.0

I received my July Edition of O Magazine on Saturday and was happy to see that Oprah is starting a new book club. I read the article in the magazine about the first book club selection; Wild (Oprah's Book Club 2.0 Digital Edition): From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. I decided to join the thousands (millions??) of other people who are reading this selection.

There are several resources that are offered to interact with other readers and discussion groups.

You can sign-up for Oprah's Book Club 2.0 on Oprah's web site. You can access Oprah's personal notes, the author's scrapbook, photos and discussion groups from this page.

You can use the hashtag #oprahsbookclub to connect with other readers on Twitter.

You can also join the Oprah's Book Club 2.0 Community on Facebook.

You can watch a video that features Cheryl Strayed talking about her book at Wild Webisodes: Week 1.

What Is This Book About?

"At twenty-two, 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."

 Getting Started
I purchased the digital copy of this book last night. The digital copy is expensive ($12.99) but the book club edition includes Oprah’s personal notes highlighted within the text and a reading group guide.

I read the first chapter this morning and I am hooked. In the first chapter of the book, Cheryl tells about her childhood and the death of her mother. She expresses the deep grief that she felt when her mother died of lung cancer at a young age.

Will You Join Me?
Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below. I will be blogging about this book over the next several weeks.

FYI ~ The Amazon link at the top of this post is my affiliate link. If you decide to purchase this book, I would truly appreciate your support. Thank you!