Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Cheryl Strayed is an American writer known for her memoir “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail”. Born on September 17, 1968, she faced a tumultuous early life, including the death of her mother and a period of personal struggle. Her memoir, “Wild”, published in 2012, details her transformative solo hike of over a thousand miles on the Pacific Crest Trail. This journey helped her confront her grief and life’s challenges. The book became a bestseller and was later adapted into a film starring Reese Witherspoon. Strayed’s work often explores themes of resilience, healing, and self-discovery.

Chronology

• September 17, 1968: Cheryl Strayed is born in Spangler, Pennsylvania.
• Early Life: Grows up in rural Minnesota, experiencing a challenging family life.
• Early 1990s: Strayed’s mother, Bobbi Lambrecht, dies of lung cancer when Cheryl is 22 years old.
• Post-Mother’s Death: Struggles with grief, leading to personal and marital turmoil.
• 1995: Undertakes a solo hike of over a thousand miles on the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through to Washington State.
• 2006: Publishes her first novel, “Torch”.
• 2012: “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” is published, becoming a #1 New York Times bestseller.
• 2012: “Wild” is chosen as the first selection for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0.
• 2014: The film adaptation of “Wild,” starring Reese Witherspoon, is released.
• Other Works: Publishes a collection of advice columns, “Tiny Beautiful Things”, and continues to write essays and works exploring themes of grief, healing, and resilience.

Story

Cheryl Strayed is an American author, essayist, and memoirist known for her 2012 memoir “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail”. Her story is one of personal transformation, marked by both profound loss and remarkable resilience.

Strayed was born on September 17, 1968, in Spangler, Pennsylvania, and later grew up in rural Minnesota. Her family life was challenging; her father was abusive, and her mother, Bobbi Lambrecht, eventually left him. Strayed’s strong bond with her mother became a central aspect of her life. However, this bond was shattered when her mother died suddenly of lung cancer at the age of 45. Strayed was only 22 at the time, and her mother’s death left her emotionally devastated.

Following her mother’s death, Strayed’s life began to unravel. She struggled with the grief and loss, which led to a period of personal turmoil. She dealt with the dissolution of her first marriage and engaged in self-destructive behaviors, including heroin use and infidelity.

In an effort to find herself and cope with her personal struggles, Strayed made an impulsive decision to hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), from the Mojave Desert in California through Oregon and into Washington. She undertook this challenging journey with little hiking experience. Her trek, which lasted from June to September 1995, was a transformative experience, allowing her to confront her personal demons and emotional pain.

Strayed’s journey on the PCT became the basis for her memoir “Wild”. The book details her physical and emotional struggles during the hike, as well as her efforts to come to terms with her mother’s death and her own life choices. “Wild” was published in 2012 to critical acclaim and became a #1 New York Times bestseller. It was also chosen by Oprah Winfrey as the first selection for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0.

The success of “Wild” led to a film adaptation in 2014, starring Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed. The movie, also titled “Wild”, received several Academy Award nominations.

Besides “Wild”, Strayed has written other works, including the novel “Torch” and a collection of her advice columns published under the pseudonym “Dear Sugar” in the book “Tiny Beautiful Things”. Her writings often explore themes of grief, healing, and personal transformation, drawing from her own life experiences.

Strayed’s journey and writings have inspired many, showcasing the power of resilience and the human capacity to overcome adversity. Her story is a testament to the idea that sometimes, in the process of losing ourselves, we find our way back to who we are meant to be.

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