“I had to change. Not into a different person, but back to the person I used to be; strong and responsible, clear-eyed and driven, ethical and good,” writes Cheryl Strayed. To do that, Strayed decided to hike, alone, a big part of the 2,663 mile long Pacific Crest Trail.

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Wild is an inspiring memoir about a young woman’s solo hike over 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. Cheryl Strayed, reeling from pain and sorrow, finds herself being strengthened and healed throughout her adventure in the wilderness. By keenly describing her adventures and misadventures on the trail and the people she meets on her journey, Strayed enables readers to feel the scars, bruises, blisters, sore muscles and overall pain she overcomes on her expedition.

Cheryl Strayed’s decision to take on such a dangerous hike becomes more understandable when one realizes the emotional pain she is trying to escape from. Her mother, who mostly raised her, has recently died of lung cancer. Soon after, her stepfather leaves her and remarries. Her two siblings distance them-selves, and her marriage fails, eventually leading to divorce. Strayed falls into a trap of self-destruction. At the age of 26, Strayed has countless sexual encounters with strangers and becomes addicted to heroin.

Fortunately, Strayed comes to the realization that “the thing that would make [her] believe that hiking the Pacific Crest Trail was [her] way back to the person [she] used to be.” And thus, she gets to decide to go on an adventure: alone.

Along the way, she undergoes extreme changes in weather, environment, and eventually herself. Strayed’s refreshingly candid narration delivers her emotional ups and downs as well as how it feels to be on the trail, making progress one painful step at a time. In particular, her vivid use of language plainly but beautifully conveys her stories, rendering readers intoxicated with fantasy as if they were a real companion of her journey. Her writing fosters a deep connection with readers and allows them to truly appreciate her courageous decision to take on this long, dangerous trail.

The narrative shifts seamlessly between Strayed’s past life in the real world and her present one in the deep wilderness, juxtaposing her emotional and physical pain. This perfect balance between past and present clearly shows the reader how she learns about, under-stands, and ultimately comes to forgive herself.

Chosen as the first selection for Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club 2.0, Wild’s memoir has inspired many. People are afraid of losing what they have: families, jobs, money and power. “Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story… I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave,” writes Cheryl Strayed. For those dealing with their own fears, Wild will take them on a journey that leads them to courage.