Author: Cheryl Strayed
In one sentence this novel is a true story about a 20 something girl that hiked a 1100 mile trail – the Pacific Crest Trail. As far as the story goes I think that suffices. The longest I’ve hiked is 11 miles and I know how I felt after that.
The feat is so daunting (at least to me) and so unthinkable that at some point in the novel I forget that it’s a true story. It feels like fiction. Everything that you thought was impossible seems possible when reading this book. It’s simply amazing how this girl survives the hike and that too alone! A lady on seeing this girl do what she was doing, says “if all the women in the world would do what they wanted to do this world would be a better place”. I think that is so true.
Another thing that struck me was that when you read the news or when you’re about to embark on such an adventure, there are only bad things you hear about; people only warn you about the bad people that you’ll encounter. So it was quite a surprise when you see that the author was met with so much kindness everywhere she went. Goodness still prevails, people just need to spread the word!
When I first heard about this book, it sounded so incredulous and when I read it I’m speechless. It’s hard for me to say that the book is well-written and such things. When you read a true story like this, there are real things that keep you mesmerized. I would definitely recommend this book.
Bottomline: highly recommend!
