I’m back! I was away for a little
vacation in Rehoboth Beach and Vermont. While in Rehoboth I
purchased a book that has lots of promise (for me) called Culinary
Intelligence by Peter Kaminsky. I love to read books about
good food and smart eating. God knows I need that kind of input! I
haven’t started that book yet. First, I had to finish Wild:
From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed.
As the title suggests, Ms. Strayed was
in a bad state when she began her journey on the Pacific Coast Trail.
She was broken in many ways. She had lost her mother to cancer and
was reeling from her loss. Her marriage had just ended in divorce,
and she was trying to figure out who she was and where she was going.
Wild was an important book for
me in many ways. My stepchildren lost their mother suddenly almost
three years ago. While I had empathy and sympathy, I couldn’t
really understand fully what they were experiencing. Of course I
knew that it was profoundly sad, but not having experienced anything
like that myself, I couldn’t fully comprehend the depth of their
loss. Ms. Strayed was so articulate about her feelings, her grief
and her loss that she helped me relate to my stepchildren better. I
appreciate her for that.
I have always wanted to hike the
Appalachian Trail and was planning to do so this past March. I read
books, watched videos, made plans, and dreamed about it. A section
of my basement is filled with some of the gear that I would need.
Like Ms. Strayed, I am not an experienced hiker or camper. I’ve
been a city person my entire adult life, but I had complete faith in
my ability to hike for seven to eight months. Then I had a health
issue come up, and now I can’t figure out how to make it work. So,
reading Wild was a vicarious pleasure for me.
I recommend this book to you. Oprah
also recommended this book, and I’ve heard that there are “Oprah”
editions out there that are driving people nuts. Oprah highlighted
sections that she thought were relevant. I suggest finding a
non-Oprah version to read, if you are anything like me - although I
love to talk about them, I like my books to be between me and the
author.
I did finish that book that I mentioned
in my last blog, I’m Not Myself These Days by Josh
Kilmer-Purcell. While I enjoyed his story, it’s kind of edgy and
may not appeal to everyone. The reason I like memoirs and
biographies is that they provide insight into people who are
different from me. I love stories about people who are braver,
smarter, more creative and bigger than me in every way.
Kilmer-Purcell fit that bill as does Saima Wahab who wrote In My
Father’s Country: An Afghan Woman Defies Her Fate, which I’ll
tell you about next week. Have a great week!
I’d love to hear from other book
lovers! Feel free to comment on this blog, recommend books, or take
issue with any of my opinions.
Cathy