Acorn is pleased to announce that we’ve
started a nonfiction book club! Our first selection is Wild:
From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed, a memoir
of unusual candor and substance. Think of it as Eat, Pray, Love for the
99%; or the saner person’s Into the Wild. It’s also enjoying an extended moment in the cultural spotlight as the
latest pick in Oprah’s Book Club and a future Reese Witherspoon movie.
By 26, Strayed had endured the death
of her mother and subsequent disintegration of her family and marriage. Still grieving,
she drops out of college, dates the seriously untrustworthy, and heads towards
a dangerous addiction. By happenstance she learns about the Pacific Crest Trail—a
rugged nature path that begins at the U.S-Mexico border and ends in British
Columbia—and begins saving and planning for her expedition. Though she was a
backpacking novice, she tackles an 1,100-mile segment along the
mountains of California and Oregon.
Don’t worry, Strayed doesn’t magically transform into
an indestructible Amazonian goddess during her journey. Instead, she learns how
to reflect, adapt, and appreciate her life in ways that really resonate. She
writes about finding a way to keep going, even when you’re underprepared and
overwhelmed by the task at hand--and possibly broke, very hungry, and missing a
hiking boot. Her self-deprecating wit and tendency to moon over the unwashed
hunks she encounters on the PCT bring levity to her powerful story.
Please contact the Reference Department to sign up
for the club and to reserve your copy of Wild. The book club’s first meeting will take place on Thursday,
October 4 at Oliver’s Bar and Grill at 7:30 p.m. Join us for a lively
discussion and a refreshing beverage!
-Megan
