Wild is a poignant, no-holds barred, kick-ass memoir that will grab you by the throat and shake you to your core. Cheryl Strayed is 22 when her mother dies, and for the next four years she's a mess: her marriage breaks up, she sleeps around, has an abortion and becomes addicted to heroin. Near rock bottom, she sees a book at a checkout counter about the Pacific Crest Trail, running from the Mexican border to Washington State. She buys the book, deciding that to save herself she must hike the trail, solo.
In a motel room in Mojave, Calif., about to embark, she realizes she's never really hiked, never really carried a heavy pack before. Nevertheless, she takes a shaky step into the hot light. The very first day, she's stabbed by a Joshua tree, then loses her bandages in a gust of wind while trying to open her first aid kit with bloodied hands. That evening, she reads an Adrienne Rich poem entitled "Power" over and over.
And so it goes, for 1,100 miles and three arduous months. This deeply felt, often humorous, and beautifully written memoir turns hiking into an act of redemption and salvation. --Tom Lavoie, former publisher