January Discussion Questions

Here are some discussion questions to keep in mind for our meeting this weekend. As always, please come with additional questions if you have them!

1. The author, Cheryl, changed her last name to "Strayed" after her divorce, but long before she stepped onto the Pacific Coast Trail. Do you think that her name fit her well? Moreso before or after her trek on the PCT?
   
2. Cheryl embarks on her adventure with no additional knowledge that what she acquires from her trail guide and from the REI employees. Do you think that her unpreparedness was fitting to her character? Why do you believe that she got on the trail with no prior training?
   
3. What role does Cheryl's books play for her on the trail?
   
4. Throughout her time on the trail, Cheryl dumps a lot of hiking accessories (foldable saw, a huge pack of condoms) and picks up others (the black feather, the Bob Marley t-shirt). What is the significance of these various objects?
   
5. Monster, the name that she has given her pack, almost takes on its own persona on the trail. Additionally, Cheryl has a lot of emotional baggage that she carries on the trail. Do you think that all of this weight (physical and metaphorical) built her to be stronger, or weakened her further? Discuss.
   
6. Did Cheryl's relationships with others (her siblings, her mother, Paul, Joe) affect her on the trail? In what ways? How did she see herself and others differently after being on the PCT for awhile?
   
7. Give your personal feelings about hiking alone on a long trail for 1,100 miles. Do you think you could do it? Would you want to?

Thanks for participating in Bookmarks & Barstools and I'll see you this weekend!