Wild, by Cheryl Strayed

NOTE: My book group had a great discussion about this book.  For a group of friends who frequently stray from the book, we discussed it for well over an hour.

People
Family	Pacific Coast Trail
Cheryl Paul – husband – divorced   Mother Eddie – second husband   Leif and Karen – siblings   Joe – drug user and enabler   Lisa – friend mailing boxes	Ray Jardine – PCT legend   Greg   Albert and Matt – father and son   Doug and Tom – same age as Cheryl   Ed – Trail Angel – met at first campground   Christine and Jeff – Packer Lodge   Trina, Stacy and Brent   Rex   John and Sarah - dating   Sam and Helen - married   Three Young Bucks – Rick, Josh and Richie   Jonathan – worked at club, one-night stand   Two bow hunters

For Discussion:

NOTE:  Page numbers are from paperback edition.

 

1. Why did her mother’s sickness and death have such a negative impact on Cheryl’s marriage?

 

2. Discuss Cheryl’s family.  Why weren’t they able to stay connected after their mother died?

 

3. Discuss Cheryl’s mourning of her mother.  What did you think of her mother’s list of faults (pages 265-267) and how they were offset by her “all-encompassing love” (page 268).  Was there anything Cheryl or someone else might have done to help her through her mourning?

 

4. At the beginning of her journey (page 30) she had no address to list as “home” on the motel card.  Can you imagine how that would feel?

5. On page 53 she wrote a description of what it felt like to take drugs.  Did you think this might be an accurate description?  Did it help you understand why some people wanted to do so?

 

6. Discuss Monster.  What things from home would you want to carry with you?

 

7. When she got divorced from Paul, Cheryl realized she could name herself anything she wanted so she changed her last name to Strayed.  What new name would you chose to describe you?

 

8. Did you understand why she and Paul divorced?  Should they have tried harder to save their marriage?

 

9. How would it feel to be totally on your own with no one knowing where you are – particularly in this day of cell phones and instant contact?

 

10. Did you think the two bow hunters were going to harm Cheryl?   Did they know they were being frightening?  Did they care?

 

11. Were you surprised that one of the books she packed in the boxes was Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov?  Why did she choose that book?  What books would you pack?

 

12. Of course it has to be asked – would you ever do anything like what Cheryl did?

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