by Katie,
Wild is a memoir of a young woman’s journey of healing. Cheryl travels, alone, through a vast and dangerous wilderness on little more than a whim. We will read about her struggles, both emotional and physical. Travelling trails like the Pacific Crest Trail can be dangerous for even the most experienced hiker. I believe we are in for many nail biting moments!
As we read, I hope we will discover why Cheryl thought it would be a good idea to hike this perilous path. Did she go into this endeavour thinking it would heal her or was this a happy accident? As we follow Cheryl, how would we react to some of the situations that she finds herself in? Would we have what it takes to survive?
Hello Ladies,
ReplyDeleteJust searching my book lists and found a couple of titles I liked, please let me know if you think we should include them on our list.
Orphan Train by Hannah Kent
Burial Rites by Christina Baker Kline [aussie bias !!]
love to you both hope all is well, Gracie has been home and we have been to the beach every day !! not bad for mid Autumn !!
Hello Ladies
ReplyDeleteNancy, I can't tell you how envious I am about the beach. Still too cold here to read a newspaper in the garden. But the birdsong and blossom are just wonderful.
I hope spring has come to North America, Katie. Benjamin must be wonderful company - and Franklin too, of course! Jay is marvellous when he's here - the lucky man is going to Barcelona for a week in early May.
Quick research suggests that "Orphan Train" is by Christina Baker Kline and set in America. "Burial Rites" by Hannah Kent is set in Iceland. They both sound really interesting books. So even if these are not the ones you meant, Nancy, I'll be reading them.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Love to you both
Sue
What can say !! Too much sun and a little dyslexia.
Deletelove Nancy
So funny, I was just looking at "Orphan Train" at a book sale sponsored at work! As for books, I'd like to add:
DeleteThe Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld
Happy reading!
katie
Hello Ladies
ReplyDeleteThank you both for such interesting book choices. And this month’s was fascinating. What a personality; what courage to reveal so much of yourself to the world.
First, to answer your questions, Katie: I’m sure I do not have had what it takes to survive the PCT. The whole business with the feet would have ended it for me. On top of that, the heights . . . I’m constitutionally incapable of dealing with heights. And the personal hygiene aspects don’t bear thinking about. I’m told I get very bad tempered when I can’t shower regularly – dirty hair drives me crackers. I’ve never camped, either, and can’t say it appeals at this stage in my life. So, I wouldn’t have begun the journey. I was full of admiration for Ms. Strayed.
She certainly hadn’t thought the journey through before starting it. But I do think that somewhere in what was left of herself when she started she knew she had to do something to recover self esteem, peace of mind, overcome grief . . . .A good choice of a means of self-examination: in many ways, she was building on the skills her mother and stepfather had taught her – like a natural extension of existing experience.
I liked the narrative’s structure: action then reflection on the past. And I admired Strayed’s honesty about the past. I did wish she’d shown a greater instinct for self-protection pre-PCT, but that’s my teacher-like, protective instincts. And I do wish she hadn’t chosen “Strayed” as a post-divorce name – unnecessary self-punishment. But it was good to see her gaining strength and confidence – physically and psychologically - as she walked. The happy ending was most welcome.
The Trail itself was a wonderful “character” - glorious and terrible: “Wild” as an adjective to describe it doesn’t do justice to its grandeur and its threat. As a vehicle for self-discovery I found the Trail much more convincing than Pi’s ocean.
Thanks for such an interesting read, Katie.
Hello Ladies,
ReplyDeleteThanks Katie for suggesting this memoir. I enjoyed reading it very much, although I see-sawed between feeling awed by Ms Strayed's courage and determination, feeling frustrated by her ill preparedness and a little exasperated by her over sharing.
The descriptions of the PCT, its perils and grandeur were impressive. On the author's web site there are quite a few photos of her journey and it is indeed beautiful, but it also looks excruciatingly tough. I would have liked some photo's for reference in the book, but you know me, I like pictures !!
My parents often took me camping as a child and as a teen and young adult often went with friends. I have taken my own children often and I love it. Nowadays though, I would probably be referred to as a glamper [glamorous camper] I need clean WC's, showers and I simply hate to be cold,possibly I would be better off in a cabin haha !!
Ivars and I go on many day hikes in our National Parks and State Forests [very excited just bought new hikers today :]] and I am a fanatical planner and researcher much to the amusement of my much more carefree family. Perhaps that is what frustrated me about Ms Strayed's preparations.
The wrong boot size, the wrong fuel for your stove, condoms - really?
Was she using her back pack as a metaphor for the heavy burdens she carried , or was that just dodgy planning as well?
Having said all that,she overcame every challenge she faced and survived. She showed amazing courage to face the wilderness and her own personal demons alone.
Could I do it ?
No way.
Would I want to do it ?
No way also.
Sue, I was glad of the happy ending and the emotional healing Ms Strayed seemed to gain from her experience too, and I also agree about the name !
I hope all is well in your worlds. All good here at the moment.
love to you and your families
Hello Ladies! I’m very glad that you’ve both enjoyed the novel I suggested. I enjoyed most of it as well.
ReplyDeleteI found her journey to be amazing; loved her descriptions. I found her lack of preparation made her more relatable. I tend to find myself either over or under prepared, never just prepared. Cheryl’s lack of preparation, I felt, kept the story from being monotonous. It sometimes added a touch of humor or caused my jaw to drop. Like you said Nancy, condoms check! Correct fuel? Not so much. Haha.
Cheryl’s frequent disregard for her safety was unnerving. When you put yourself in a wilderness situation such as hiking the PCT, you cannot control the wildlife. Cheryl was truly at the mercy of luck and timing. Her encounters with the bear, the bull, and the fox were entirely unpredictable. She handled these to the best of her abilities. Her being ill prepared in regard to safety under those circumstances was understandable. However, her constant hitch hiking was frightening! Or when she would wonder off with suspicious sounding people, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Under those situations there was no reason for her to be so precarious. I had to keep reminding myself that had she been killed by some trucker, there would be no novel, so she must obviously still be okay! I don’t think it has anything to do with your former teacher instincts, Sue! I think it is because of our excellent common sense that we feared for her!
The one thing I did not like is that I felt that the ending of the novel was very anticlimactic. The whole tale was woven so nice and then ending just seemed so haphazard to me. Did either of you feel this way? It seemed rushed. Odd to say about a memoir I know. How did I expect it to end? I’m not truly sure.
As to my own question about surviving such an arduous endeavor, I’m leaning toward no. I have been going camping since I was a little girl but it has always been a much milder form than what Cheryl preformed. Like you Nancy, I don’t like the cold. But I can handle being dirty for a short period of time. Not for three months like Cheryl but a few days would be tolerable.
Love from the Chong family :-)