Wild From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

In "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail", Cheryl Strayed recounts her daring, transformative journey of self-discovery as she hikes over a thousand miles from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State, all alone. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed, Strayed makes the impulsive decision to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) with no prior experience in long-distance hiking.

With a heavy backpack (which she names "Monster") and her mother's voice echoing in her head, she confronts the extremes of the wild, the brutal reality of the trail, and the scars of her personal life. Along the way, she faces down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls, but also unexpected kindness from strangers.

"Wild" is a story of survival, fraught with physical hardship, danger, and immense psychological and emotional pressure. Yet it is also a life-affirming tale of healing, resilience, and rebirth. Strayed's intimate memoir grapples with grief, mistakes, and the redeeming power of nature, providing readers with inspiration to face their own challenges and embark on their own journeys of self-discovery.