Traces the personal crisis the author endured after the death of her mother and a painful divorce, which prompted her ambition to undertake a dangerous 1,100-mile solo hike that both drove her to rock bottom and helped her to heal.

After years of reckless behavior, a heroin addiction and the destruction of her marriage, Cheryl Strayed makes a rash decision. Haunted by memories of her mother Bobbi and with absolutely no experience, she sets out to hike more than a thousand miles on the Pacific Crest Trail all on her own.

After years of reckless behavior and being haunted by memories of her mother, Cheryl makes a rash decision to embark on a challenging trek across the Pacific Crest Trail that ends up being a remarkable journey of self-discovery and redemption.