Girl in the Woods is Aspen Matis’s exhilarating true-life adventure of hiking from Mexico to Canada—a coming of age story, a survival story, and a triumphant story of overcoming emotional devastation. On her second night of college, Aspen was raped by a fellow student. Overprotected by her parents who discouraged her from telling of the attack, Aspen was confused and ashamed. Dealing with a … with a problem that has sadly become all too common on college campuses around the country, she stumbled through her first semester—a challenging time made even harder by the coldness of her college’s “conflict mediation” process. Her desperation growing, she made a bold decision: She would seek healing in the freedom of the wild, on the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail leading from Mexico to Canada.
In this inspiring memoir, Aspen chronicles her journey, a five-month trek that was ambitious, dangerous, and transformative. A nineteen-year-old girl alone and lost, she conquered desolate mountain passes and met rattlesnakes, bears, and fellow desert pilgrims. Exhausted after each thirty-mile day, at times on the verge of starvation, Aspen was forced to confront her numbness, coming to terms with the sexual assault and her parents’ disappointing reaction. On the trail and on her own, she found that survival is predicated on persistent self-reliance. She found her strength. After a thousand miles of solitude, she found a man who helped her learn to love and trust again—and heal.
Told with elegance and suspense, Girl in the Woods is a beautifully rendered story of eroding emotional and physical boundaries to reveal the truths that lie beyond the edges of the map.
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Aspen manages to bring to the surface, the emotional upheaval that that a young woman goes through after a sexual assault. I admire her courage in doing so as I’m certain it took a lot out of her to be so open about it. As a man, I cannot identify anywhere close to what she experienced nor can I fully grasp the emotional baggage which she carried and may even still carry to this day.
Aspin, your book opened my eyes to an area which very few understand and, most likely, never will. Throughout your book, you mention the rape frequently which tells me that your scars are forever healing. I pray that God will give you peace and relief from continuing to carry that burden.
Interesting story but somewhat misleading, main character had a lot of help with her accomplishment.
Really enjoyed this memoir.
This journey of a young woman searching to recover from being raped, and find her strength and identity by hiking the Pacific Coast Trail. As she sheds belongings and pounds, develops muscle and insight, she gains uses great stores of discipline to make it to cover more than twenty-six hundred miles. i was reminded of the psychological necessity of focus, attitude, and commitment to being successful. A inspiration to get off my butt and at least try.
It was very informative regarding the Pacific Coastal Trail and the people that travel it.
Interesting to follow her long trek
I felt. As though I was trekking with Wild child. I loved it.
Bit difficult to read in parts but glad I continued.
P
Great book
I found it very interesting on a number of levels. She is an excellent writer!! Her description of her hike could not have been better. I’ve gone thru some of that area before there was a continuous marked route. I hitch hiked old Hwy 30 before the interstate. The unbelievable amount of help that’s provided for all these hikers by many, many volunteers is truly amazing. The amount of additional help (financial food and clothing) her mother sent her is also amazing. She is also a child of the I Phone, GPS, modern sleeping bags made of modern materials…..
Her bad experience at College I found a bit more than I would have called it. Many of us have experienced abuse while we are “growing up” and have survived. If you get together (boys & girls) at collage your first night or so, engage in smoking pot, alcohol, and pretty heavy “making out” what would you expect??? Anyway if it was the genesis of your trek on the PCT rather than an unwanted child that is a good outcome. Hope you keep up the work……
Very disappointing. I couldn’t finish it. Made it 76% through the book and had to lay it down. It was so repetitive, it was exhausting. I was expecting a book about hiking and how the trail can help one handle traumatic events; however, this did not fit the bill.
I listened to the audio version of the book during my trail runs. I enjoyed the through hike of the PCT trail from Mexico to Canada but found some of the other parts to be very repetitive and frustrating.
It was a page turner but comes with a grain of salt….
This book really has something for everyone.
This is an amazing story about a young girl completely dependent upon her mother who strikes out on her own walking the Pacific Trail alone. She had been traumatized by a student and raped the second day she was at college and this trek is an attempt to heal from that terror. Eventually she learns to trust again and gain back her self worth. It was so interesting – she is a gifted author.
I purchased Girl in the Woods because I have a former student who was attempting to thru-hike the PCT at the time, and I was interested in learning more about the trail through Aspen’s adventures. I was expecting more of a trail hiking adventure story, but what I got was an compelling personal memoir full of pearls of wisdom and insight. I am so very different from Aspen, so much of my life is different from hers, but through her engaging narrative, I was able to relate to her story.
This memoir kept my interest from beginning to end. I also enjoyed other Pacific Trail and Appalachian Trail stories such as Wild by Cheryl Strayed and Grandma’s Walk.
I enjoyed the Girl in the Woods. Very good.
Do you not like this book. What A baby. Tied to Mother’s apron strings
Thought it would be more about hiking. Turned out to be more about the hacker’s rape and how she overcame it. Needed less emotion and more about the bike. Unless the title would be changed to something else