Salvatge : Un viatge pel sender de la cresta del Pacífic

Something incredibly touching about finishing this book on my mother's birthday, feeling at once a daughter and a mother with young adult children the age Strayed was when she hiked the PCT. I felt such tenderness for her.

I'm glad Strayed waited to write this book as long as she did--grateful for the distance in the book--both the distance she traveled then, and the distance she put between the hike and writing the book. It has a lot to do, I think, with the seamless, organic way she wove together the hike and her story. Each of those story lines seemed to take turns coming to the forefront and then receding gracefully (or sometimes violently!), like the landscape.
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Cheryl Strayed attended my big all-company meeting last week to give a talk and answer some questions. I had read some of her "Dear Sugar" many years ago, and her name seemed familiar, but I hadn't known about her books. I vaguely recall an episode of the recent Gilmore Girls reprise that had Lorelei going on a long hike to find herself, and I imagine that was a direct or indirect reference to this book.

I wanted to read one or two of her books to prepare for her talk, and I chose this one as the first to dive into. I suppose I expected some kind of "you go, girl" self-help thing, but what I found in this book instead was a lot of grit and dirt and, well, yes, maybe a little finding of the self. I thought it was a really nicely written book, and I'm glad I read it. Strayed was a good speaker as well. ( )

Totally not what I expected, heavy on the memoir, light on the travel. I loved it - http://www.susanhatedliterature.net/2018/04/wild-a-journey-from-lost-to-found/ ( )

I loved Wild. I do not easily laugh out loud or to cry when reading a book. But I did both. Cheryl Strayed writes about her physical 1,100 mile trek up the Pacific Crest Trail. But the story is really about how the trail and its challenges helped to mend the hole in her heart after losing her mother to cancer and later divorcing her husband. Strayed writes with depth, wisdom, and honesty that few can surpass. As she writes about her journey, we are given the opportunity to walk alongside her and be changed through her process of healing. Highly recommended especially for those who love hiking and the outdoors. ( )

If you're a backpacker and you're looking for an "adventure" type book my recommendation is to pass on this. If you're looking for a story where a person can overcome circumstances, poor judgment, bad decisions and still succeed, with luck and some help at times then this may be what you're looking for.

For me this was a very disappointing book. Ill prepared and with no experience the author was damn lucky. I hate to think somebody will read this and think "I don't need to do all this preparation, if she could do it so can I". I have to give her props though for determination. Her foot problems alone would have most people bailing on their trip. She did display some good judgment in bypassing sections where the snow was too much. Her creative use of duct tape, socks, sandals was admirable.

My biggest issue with the story is the extensive rehashing of her life. It's not even an examination of her circumstances/choices but just "crying in her beer". Those portions of the book seemed (my perception) to be so long that I'd forget where she was on the trail. I was also hoping for more on her thoughts regarding the transformative process that a long distance hike has. It's not until the very, very end that it becomes evident that she has been transformed and maybe even healed by her experience. It's the very ending that keep me from giving this book one star. ( )