This book made me want to go hiking. 4.5 stars. I enjoyed this book a lot! As someone from the countryside who is now hauled up in a city of concrete and fancy glass it was extremely nice to get outdoors while I travelled on the tube. I listened to this on audiobook and I found Cheryl to be a great reader.This book came from Cheryl's hike of the PCT or Pacific Crest Trail. A crazy 80 day hike where Cheryl faced snow covered grounds, blazing heat, rattle snakes and a bear to name a few. I found her voice to be unapologetic and feminist on issues such as "but you're a woman and you're hiking alone?"- yet wholly apologetic for her flaws and the hurt she had caused because of her actions. Although she always acknowledged that despite these flaws, it was her grieving process, heroin and all. I particularly enjoyed how much emotion there was in this memoir. It is full to the brim. She is grieving, she is extremely flawed and maladaptive in her coping but she is trying tooth and nail to cope following her mother's death. I also loved that at the heart of this book, it is an adventure story. We meet unlikely friends to the Queen of the PCT, which even includes a friendly llama. My only difficulties with this book were the extremely extended side stories to provide background for her actions. I found them interesting and insightful. However some seemed to drag. My last issue was the amount of hitchhiking!! I know this was when Cheryl was in her twenties but my goodness girl. She even states the unease she felt in cars with some men, and even (Although on the trail) meets a very unnerving man. All the hitchhiking!! Super dangerous and as someone who works in maintaining the safety of individuals, well it made me cringe a whole lot each time she jumped into a car for a lift. 
 If you can't quite get to hiking yourself and want to go outdoors in your mind with Cheryl with the best memoir I've ever read, then you need to read this.