Wild

So I just finished reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed, an absolutely riveting memoir of a young woman loosing herself while dealing with the tragic loss of her mother, failed marriage and drug use. She soon comes to the realization that hiking the Pacific Crest Trail will help her truly grieve and regain the sense of self and strength she once had. All alone and with no experience Cheryl conveys just how dangerous, challenging and eye-opening the PCT proves to be. Having to deal with wild animals, physical pain, inclement weather and dehydration, in the end all aid Cheryl in finding what she was looking for.

Interestingly, when I started reading this book, I was a little turned off,  the beginning has you dealing with her mother's death. Honestly, it was somewhat depressing and had me closing my nook in those first few pages. Mostly because my parents are older and retiring and I guess I just didn't want to think of the whole parents and death thing. Yet I forged on and kept giving it more time to pick up and I'm glad I did. I think it was the author's vivid details and descriptions that kept me reading on. Once I was sucked into her beginner's hiking experience, I couldn't put it down. I couldn't help but wonder what new challenge she would face next.

Definitely worth a read... :-)