Cheryl Strayed was 26 years old when she made the rash and life-changing decision to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave desert to Washington State—1180 miles—alone. The year was 1995; she had just lost her mother to cancer and her marriage had collapsed. Her memoir of the trip, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, was published 17 years later in 2012 and quickly rose to the top of the New York Times Best Seller List, where it stayed at number one for seven weeks.
What makes Strayed's audiobook story even more fascinating is that she had never heard of the Pacific Crest Trail until she happened to run across a trail guide at her local book store in Minnesota, and she had virtually no hiking experience.
Immediately upon setting out on the trail, Strayed discovered her hiking boots did not fit properly. Far from civilization—and a shoe store—she continued her journey in excruciating and unrelenting pain until she had lost all of her toenails.
One aspect of this book which makes Wild unique among adventure chronicles is how Strayed narrates her story on two levels simultaneously: it's a tale of both physical and emotional suffering, and physical and emotional courage. Strayed encounters bears, rattlesnakes, record snowfalls and blistering heat over the course of her hike. She also faces—for the first time—the depths of her grief and her fears of the profound aloneness she faced on a daily basis.
In addition to Wild, Strayed has published two other books, the novel "Torch" and "Tiny Beautiful Things", a compilation of her popular advice columns written as "Dear Sugar" on the website rumpus.net. All of Strayed's titles are available as audiobooks. She has also published a number of personal essays that have appeared in The Washington Times Magazine, The New York Times Magazine and Vogue. Her essays have twice been selected for inclusion in The Best American Essays.
"I looked forward to reading this every day until I was finished. Then I was ready to go back and start over to pick up the pieces I missed but it was a 2-week library e-loan. Unlike Eat, Pray, Love, which was interesting but at the end of the day felt self-indulgent, I felt the pain of her experiences and need to push through some physical challenge, stripping away the daily tasks and responsibilities, allowing her to settle her mental turmoil and find some resolution and peace. Despite the 4-star rating, it left me with a 5-star feeling."
— Jan (4 out of 5 stars)
“A rich, riveting true story…Our verdict: A.”
— Entertainment Weekly“Strayed transports us with this gripping, ultimately uplifting tale.”
— Elle"Wild is thus the story of an unfolding. She got tougher, mentally as well as physically…The lack of ease in her life made her fierce and funny.”
— New York Times“Strayed’s journey was as transcendent as it was turbulent.”
— Christian Science Monitor“Brilliant…pointedly honest…Part adventure narrative, part deeply personal reflection.
— Houston Chronicle“One of the most original, heartbreaking and beautiful American memoirs in years.”
— NPR“Strayed writes a crisp scene; her sentences hum with energy…It becomes impossible not to root for her.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer"[A] vivid, touching and ultimately inspiring account of a life unraveling, and of the journey that put it back together.”
— Wall Street Journal“A breathtaking adventure tale and a profound meditation on the nature of grief and survival.”
— New York Times Book Review“Strayed offers not just practical and spiritual wisdom but a blast of sheer, ferocious moral inspiration.”
— Newsday“An addictive, gorgeous book that not only entertains, but leaves us the better for having read it.”
— Boston Globe“It’s a fearless story, told in honest prose that is wildly lyrical as often as it is physical.”
— Minneapolis Star Tribune“Her honesty never flags.”
— Seattle Times“Strayed recounts the road to redemption—a road buried in snow, crawling with rattlers, and patrolled by bears—with humor and irrefutably hard-won wisdom.”
— Vanity Fair“The breathtaking power of one remarkable woman finding her way—and herself—one brave step at a time. Four stars.”
— PeopleStrayed has enjoyed acclaim as an extraordinary essayist for 15 years. . . . Wild tells how, when she was 22 with her life in disarray, she impulsively decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail alone, from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon. The idea was that it might help her put things back together. Like the Adrienne Rich poem ‘Power’ that bolsters Strayed after the trail nearly breaks her on her first day out, Strayed has power in reserve. It used to take her younger self by surprise—like so many of her encounters and revelations along the trail. Strayed reclaimed herself with she claimed that power on the Pacific Crest Trail. Today, she owns it, and she knows how to use it. We’re feeling it now.
— Brian Juenemann, The Register-Guard“A candid, inspiring narrative of the author’s brutal physical and psychological journey through a wilderness of despair to a renewed sense of self.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Spectacular…A literary and human triumph.”
— New York Times Book Review" Touching true story of Cheryl Strayed’s journey following her Mother’s death to find herself. "
— Macey , 5/25/2024" Really really enjoyed...I wanted to know her afterwards... "
— GG, 2/20/2014" A rigorous trek, a great deal of soul searching, described by an author who has learned her craft well. Completely compelling. "
— Carol, 2/5/2014" Loved this book. Cheryl Strayed has the heart of a warrior. Facing tough stuff, she started climbing. Over 1,000 miles and 100 days, Strayed didn't walk around it . . . she walked through it. An inspiring story for anyone going through a tough time. "
— Salisbury, 1/31/2014" As a catastrophe hiker myself, I loved hearing her ups and downs on the trail. Her moxie was impressive and inspiring, an underdog when there was no competition. I went in and out of liking Cheryl, her choices were sometimes very hurtful. I couldn't put it down and there was enough comedy to balance the darker passages. "
— Elizabeth, 1/30/2014" I can't get enough of literature of the trail -- this one is another classic. "
— Collette, 1/16/2014" Went on a vacation to Phoenix by myself and this was a perfect book for the occasion. Travel reframes ones perspective on life and the books mirrored that experience. "
— Tina, 1/10/2014Cheryl Strayed is the author of Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail and Tiny Beautiful Things. Her stories and essays have been published in the New York Times Magazine, Washington Post Magazine, Rumpus, Missouri Review, Best American Essays, Vogue, and elsewhere.
Bernadette Dunne is the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and has twice been nominated for the prestigious Audie Award. She studied at the Royal National Theatre in London and the Studio Theater in Washington, DC, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center and off Broadway.