Wild

Having read A Walk in the Woods last year, I was hesitant to pick up Wild.  I enjoyed Bill Bryson's book but also at times the historical facts would have my eyes crossing. I was worried that Wild would be more of the same, but maybe not as good.  I had no reason to worry. Wild is only similar to Bryson's book in that there is a long hike involved, nature is appreciated and the author manages to insert some humor into the story. The similarities pretty much end there.  Strayed's impetus for hiking along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is her mother's death. The death is just the beginning of a downward spiral that she can't seem to escape.  By her own admission, her spiral includes a fair amount of extramarital sex and heroin.  She is hovering over rock bottom when a book about the PCT catches her attention and she decides to hike it and deal with her personal problems.  This is the first book of 2013 that I loved. I highly recommend it and I plan on re-reading it in the future. The story is so well written that I felt like I was hiking with her. I felt like I her demons were my demons.  I wanted so much for her to succeed and become whole again after being shattered. This book reminds us once again that it's not about the destination. It truly is about the journey. I know that's cliché but clichés are usually cliché because they are true so I'm not afraid to use one when applicable.  Get this book and fast-track it to the top of your reading list.