Wild

Wild
by Cheryl Strayed

First published in Great Britain in 2012.

Wild is wonderful.  I saw the film trailer and knew it was one I wanted to see.  When I learnt it was based on a book I went straight out and bought it.  Then I had that annoying time when you're still reading another book and so can't start the new one yet (thankfully the other book was Life After Life - see previous blog post - and I couldn't put it down so was finished pretty quickly).

I think I read Wild in about two weeks, it was another one that I really struggled to put down and go to work.  At the same time, because I was enjoying it so much, I didn't want it to end, so I sortof read it slower than I would otherwise have done.  That probably makes very little sense but I do it a lot with books, re-reading bits and so on to extend the reading time.

The story is of Cheryl Strayed, who at 26 decided to hike 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail alone after her mother died suddenly.  Cheryl hikes through deserts, snow and forests meeting other hikers along the way but staying alone for the most part.  The story of the hike is interspersed with stories from Cheryl's childhood living with her mother and siblings, and her struggles after her mother's death when Cheryl was 23.

Cheryl is a strong, resiliant person but she doesn't realise it at first.  Her mother's death tears her apart and she turns to one night stands and drugs to try to cope.  She realises that she is damaging herself and those around her and makes the rather spontaneous decision to hike the trail.  Throughout the book she gains strength from seeing how far she has come and allowing herself to grieve for her mother properly.  A lot of people would say she is brave, and I agree but not in the sense that she is hiking this potentially dangerous trail alone.  To me, Cheryl doesn't realise the scale of potential danger and so is not afraid of this.  Her bravery comes from choosing to change her life from the depths it was sinking into.

The writing is straightforward and unapologetic, rather like Cheryl herself.  I found it very relatable as a 26 year old, even though I have definitely not hiked on my own (or much at all for that matter!).  It is so detailed in the descriptions of the trail that it is easy to imagine yourself there with Cheryl.  I laughed and cried with Cheryl.  She doesn't shy away from her emotions, especially when she is on the trail and feels safe in her grief.

There are parts which are very much about the technical side of hiking, for example when Cheryl is packing her rucksack, and when she faces snow for the first time.  These parts are detailed but because Cheryl hadn't researched or trained before the hike, the writing is understandable even if you have never worn a rucksack.  I felt as if I were learning along with Cheryl, and shared in her victories.  I so badly wanted her to reach the end of the hike that I was fully cheering her on at times.

When I first started reading it I loved that Cheryl's last name was Strayed, what with her 'straying' from her day to day life to hike and all that.  As it turned out she chose this last name herself.  At first I was disappointed to read this as I liked the idea that her name was more than just a name, that it was part of her personality that she would find as she grew up.  Looking back on it now, I admire Cheryl for carving her own identity by choosing a new name, particularly as the close bond with her mother is not one she discards with the old name.

I kept picturing Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl as I read the book, because of her looking at me from the cover every time I picked it up.  This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but I do think it stops you from imagining a character if a casting director has decided what you should be picturing.  I was glad to see that the book's descriptions of Cheryl and photos of actual Cheryl from when she did the trail are pretty similar to Reese.  I find it so unnecessarily annoying when a characters hair colour or something equally small is changed.

This book is obviously a great one for holidays, gap years and walking weekends (if you have time to read in your tent at night).  For me, it was an escape from the daily commute to the trail in North America.  The book made me want to up and travel somewhere far away with a massive rucksack (although this feeling soon stopped once I finished reading!).  It was made even better by the fact that it was real; Cheryl exists and really did hike the trail.

If you get itchy feet easily, get this book on your bookshelf.  I take no responsibility for it making you want to leave your day job and go travelling.