Beyond the Book with Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
This month we are going Beyond the Book with Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed. (DB74646) The author, Cheryl Strayed, at the age of 26, decides on a whim to make the 1,100 hike up the Pacific Crest Trail by herself after years of devastating personal losses. She experiences many mishaps and adventures along the way while meeting new people in the locals and fellow hikers she encounters. This was not a “how-to” book about hiking, or an informational book about the Pacific Crest Trail, or even a self-help book. It is the thoughts of a woman who used her journey to work through her thoughts and emotions about her life up to that point. I thought this book would be a good book to take us into the new year as it can make you think about your own life experiences and how you ultimately handled and reacted to them. 2020 was a hard and interesting year that put us all outside our comfort zones and made us look inwardly at how we handle situations. This reminded me of Strayed’s journey up the Pacific Crest Trail as she traveled alone with only her own thoughts as company. This book was made into a movie in 2014 starring Reese Witherspoon. In my opinion, the book is almost always than its movie and that holds true here. However, the movie was very well done and I really enjoyed it and would strongly recommend it!
Next time we will go Beyond the Book with The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver (DB98810) A contemporary romance about Lydia and Freddie who had been together for more than a decade when Freddie died in a car accident. Deeply grieving, it takes time for Lydia to take the first steps to move on. But in her dreams, she has another chance at her old life with Freddie. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, a romance seems like the perfect fit! Call the library to request this book! Once you have read it, call or email with your review or thoughts. You might hear your words in the next Beyond the Book segment in the March Library News. We would love to hear from you! Call 515.452.1329 or email library@blind.state.ia.us.
Thanks for reading with us!