Checking in and reporting on Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard of Cheryl Strayed's book, Wild, or at least seen a commercial for the movie version, starring Reese Witherspoon. I wasn't sure if I wanted to read Strayed's book, but once I started seeing the commercials for the movie, I started to become a bit more interested in the book. I picked it up in July, anticipating reading it during a vacation, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

While Wild wasn't my favorite wilderness memoir, I did enjoy it quite a bit. It is has made several "worst books for hikers" lists, but I think those readers missed the point. Wild is NOT about the great outdoors nor is it any sort of hiking guide. In fact, Strayed admits several times in the book that she was woefully unprepared for her adventure. Instead, this is a book about emotional survival, repair, and recovery after her world is blown apart by her mother's death.

I have to admit that I was also attracted to Wild because Strayed makes her home in Portland, Oregon, one of my favorite cities.I do wish that she had pushed a little deeper into the emotional and psychological struggles during the journey, and I wish she had talked a bit more about the actual hiking, terrain, and so on.

Have you read Wild? What did you think of it?

If you liked Wild, you might also enjoy Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. However, Krakauer's book doesn't have any kind of happy, feel-good ending.