Wild by Nature Book Review

Title of the Book: Wild by Nature 
Author: Sarah Marquis
Number of Pages: 255
Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Review:

In the literary nonfiction masterpiece, Wild by Nature, National Geographic’s Swiss golden girl, Sarah Marquis, pulls her readers in to trudge alongside her every step that is her ExplorAsia journey of three years and 10,000 miles on foot from Siberia to Australia, alone.

Marquis, an experienced expeditioner of 20 years, with several thousand miles of solo excursion under her belt, sets out on this new expedition with the purpose of pushing boundaries and finding out just how far she can surpass her physical, emotional, and spiritual limits   -- and that’s exactly what she does. Walking through 6 countries as a solo white woman proves to be quite the test, giving Marquis exactly what she sought out for. Over the course of the journey, she survives encounters with thieving men on horseback who raid her camp nightly in Mongolia, drug smugglers strapped with machine guns in Laos, a major police encounter in China, sub-zero and scorching temperatures in the Gobi Desert, ringworm in Thailand, dengue fever delirium, a dangerous abscess, hunger, thirst, and so much more. It is a story of pure struggle on the surface, but, when viewed from a little deeper, like Ms. Marquis sees it all throughout, it is a story of freedom, woman power, persistence, and great revelation found when humans connect with nature.

The National Geographic Explorer’s journey is unique in itself. I mean, how many people can say that they’ve hiked 10,000 miles across Asia with nothing but a 110 lb. cart, 40 lb. backpack, and some good walking shoes? Not a whole lot. Surprisingly enough, though, Marquis’ writing is just as unique and impressive as her trip. She tells the story from a very honest and vulnerable standpoint, letting the reader feel exactly what she feels in any given moment. She describes each scene, no matter good or bad,  in such vivid detail, which allows any person reading to be transported right there by her side. Most importantly, she describes each meaningful realization that she comes to -- about life, love, survival, nature, people, you name it -- in a way that any individual can understand. The reader doesn’t have to have gone on his or her own trek to come to the same realizations, because the author does such a phenomenal job of explaining her every thought. Her craft is just as powerful to readers as her adventure is to her.

With all of that said, I recommend this moving story of difficult turmoil mixed with plans-gone-wrong and uplifting realization and appreciation to any and all walks of life. This book will be especially appealing and touching to the female population, as Marquis really hits hard on what it’s like to be a woman traveling alone and the unbreakable bond that all women share, no matter race, nationality, age, status, etc. Nevertheless, whether you’re a homebody who's never left your town or an adventurous traveloholic of any gender, you can gain so much insight and inspiration from reading this book. Who knows, maybe it will even kindle a fire in you to go out and push your own limits. . . and if not, at least you can do it vicariously through the marvelous being that is Sarah Marquis.

Review by Erin Malcolm