I love this book. If you give it 5 minutes, it will grab you and you’ll be hard-pressed to put it down. I came across this book at random after a long period where I had stopped reading. It rekindled my love.

Mature and inspiring redirection and growth are common throughout this read. So it’s more than a little frustrating and confounding, when a sober and rational moment is interrupted by an equally irrational and nonsensical line of thought and reasoning the next second. The author seemed very bipolar in her thought process and in her penchant for self destruction when she’s already shown us she can behave like an adult when she needs to. Yet either in spite or because of this uncommon polarity or for reasons I’ve yet to understand myself, Cheryl managed to leave me thankful for the dizzying experience that was walking with her thoughts on the Pacific Coast Trail. I hope her redemption is the path she stays on and doesn’t Stray from.

This book reminded me of the beauty and cruelty of nature.

I’ve seen the movie but decided I needed to read the book. This is a really neat book and makes you feel like your there hiking the PCT as well.....

I know that she only wants to express how she grew and how she became the person she already had inside her but that hardest stretch of trail through the desert and the Sierras snow pack brought out the fight and grit she had in her. This book was not meant to glamorize the PCT or make it seem like a day stroll. She went through genuine hardships. Yes she had Strayed into drugs before the trail and she had to get some knocks and bruises on the trail but this story shows how she Got to the Oregon bridge crossing “Bridge of the Gods” and something had grown in her. A former weakness of sorts had turned to power. I’m sure we all have this in us. That grit. She has a way of baring her very soul in this captivating story of love, loss, and her ability to recover from her endless pain and grief. This story in particular has made me want to prove that I have a little more grit than my family realizes!!!

Strayed's book is both a physical and spiritual journey. Her writing is easy, her flashbacks to the life that brought her to hiking the Pacific Coast Trail (with no prior experience) well timed, logically placed, and told with a balance between detachment and emotion that keeps the reader focused on the process she undergoes to figure out who she is rather than dwelling on that past. Strayed writes well about the people she meets, the obstacles she faces, and the life she been living that threatened to overwhelm her. Her descriptions are excellent and she captures the uniqueness of those who populated her world - both past and on the trail. The one flaw of the book was that some of the metaphors of her journey were overdone or obvious. Despite this, I found I admired her for taking such a step to reorient herself in life.

Good not excellent- completely as you would expect the story to unfold

Well written book. While no fault of the author, after reading 5 chapters 3 have ended mid sentence. What's up Apple? If this continues I want a refund.

This story, of tragedy, journey, adventure, and development of the spirit and soul, was beautifully written. There is an honesty in the voice of the author, as well as a beautifully descriptive writing style. Enjoyed the Oprah's book club edition as well.

Sometimes I dislike a character but can still enjoy a story about them but not this time. I especially didn't like it when she wrote about wanting to have sex with the nurse attending to her mom at her death bed. I give her points for honesty but there's no remarkable story here.