Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found

this is the same author of Tiny Beautiful Things and so I was already primed to be irritated by her style of writing: lots of hyperbole and continued use of contrast as in: I felt so 'one thing', but also felt 'the opposite thing'. it feels like how I wrote in university, for one: immature and certain this small thing happening before me was filled with significance and trying so earnestly to express it's unique moment.
but the biggest annoyance was her lack of true growth. in the last 1-2 pages of the book she fast forwards to being a mature, married, mother of 2 that has obviously gotten past her mother's death, but we don't get to see how that came to be. the story really ends with her successfully surviving the trail even though she was incredibly unprepared for it and, on many occasions, could have been severely injured or even died

I really wasn't sure what to make of this book at first - in spite of the way it's marketed it really isn't a book about hiking. Anyone who picks it up as I did expecting to read about the scenery, wildlife or experience of the Pacific Crest Trail is going to be very disappointed - the author may as well have been walking the Appalachian Trail or the South Downs Way or indeed doing any physically demanding activity with little preparation for all you learn about the trail itself, and I did find it extremely frustrating to read about the hardships she endured as a result of not really having done any research.

Having said that, I did find it a fascinating read from a feminist perspective. The central theme, about accepting your mistakes, forgiving yourself and moving on and about how society really doesn't accommodate the fact that women want to be in the driving seat of their own lives as much as men do, resonated very strongly with me too. I probably wouldn't have picked up a book marketed as being about self-discovery rather than hiking, so oddly this worked out for me.

I suspect this is one of those books that will divide male and female readers very strongly. I'm sure most women will empathize with the absolute terror of the chapter in which she is confronted while completely alone by two men who are both disrespectful and attracted to her, most men would probably not understand why that chapter had me chewing my nails on the edge of my seat as nothing actually happened.

In summary, not the book I was expecting but one I'm glad I picked up nonetheless.