Memoir teaches empathy
‘Wild’
Plot: When “Wild” opens, Cheryl Strayed is lost. She is lost in a spiritual sense; she’s 26 and still grieving the death of her mother five years earlier, from cancer. She has just dissolved her marriage, though she admits she still loves her husband very much. She has spiraled into a cycle of promiscuity and drug use, and she fears she may become a heroin addict.
Strayed decides to find herself by getting lost in a different sense. Though a completely inexperienced hiker from Minnesota, she makes a plan to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,663-mile brutal trek across the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountain ranges, from the Mexico/California border all the way up into Canada. With the help of a tattered guidebook, a compass she never quite gets the hang of, and some interesting characters she meets along the way, Strayed learns lessons about grief, solitude, independence and family.
Why you would recommend this book: I tell my English students that reading novels and memoirs teaches empathy, and this is an example that I would love to share with them. Because this is her own true story, Strayed portrays herself with startling honesty, and at times, she is not quite likeable. She is stubborn, rash and makes really poor decisions when it comes to men. However, by taking this journey with her and experiencing it through her eyes, I always found myself cheering her on. I felt her pain when she stumbled in her too-small boots and her joy when she persevered and overcame challenges.
The moment you were on the edge of your seat: This book is not all about introspection and self-discovery; it is also about the very real trials Strayed faces on her months-long hike. One of the most harrowing moments comes when Strayed has to use her ice axe to cross a sloping field of ice on the edge of a mountain. She is faced with a choice: Cross the ice and risk sliding down the mountain if she loses her grip, or give up and lose days of hiking time by trying to go around. She had only just learned to use the axe the day before, thanks to a friendly camper she encounters on the trail, and now it is the tool that will keep her alive. Though I knew she would survive (She lives to write the book, after all!), I caught myself holding my breath as she carefully inched across the ice.
Lasting impressions: I really did not know what to expect when I picked up “Wild.” I knew that it has been compared to “127 Hours” by Aron Ralston (later made into a movie starring James Franco), and I knew a movie adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon is coming out in December. I certainly did not expect such an artfully written memoir that would actually inspire me to examine my own life.
Strayed is seeking solitude when she heads out for the Pacific Crest Trail, and for long stretches, she finds it. However, she also encounters many people on her journey, some of whom become cherished friends. Strayed describes how the shared struggle on the harsh terrain creates an instant bond between fellow hikers. When hikers catch up to her on the trail, they greet her with warm hugs, as if they are lifelong friends. In fact, a recurring theme throughout the book is Strayed’s struggle to resist the temptation of staying with the hikers she befriends, rather than going it alone as she has planned.
I also got to know the many members of Strayed’s family. Though her mother dies early in the book, she is often on Strayed’s mind, and she becomes an important character in the story. Strayed’s mother attends college with her, serving as an inspiration to fulfill her potential. Strayed’s ex-husband, Paul, and her heroin-peddling boyfriend Joe are both figures of temptation. Strayed is tempted to allow Paul to rescue her from the trail more than once; Joe becomes a symbol of the dangerous lifestyle she wants to leave behind but fears she cannot.
Reading about the hike itself was also fascinating. I found myself putting down the book occasionally to look up facts about the Pacific Coast Trail, the Sierra Nevadas, Crater Lake National Park and the differences between black bears and brown bears. (It pays to know the difference on the trail!) “Wild” left me inspired to take a hike on my own, though I’ll probably start with a day-long jaunt somewhere closer to home.
– Kirk Fontenot
What are your eading next?
“Dear Life” By Alice Munro
