Wander

A Memoir of Letting go and Walking 2,000 Miles to a Meaningful Life

Non-Fiction - Adventure
226 Pages
Reviewed on 04/03/2024
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Nino Lobiladze for Readers' Favorite

Ryan is not content with the quality of his life. He refuses to continue pretending that he is successful. His career in pharmaceutical marketing starts to suffocate him. His marriage ends in divorce. Ryan becomes desperate and battles dark thoughts. Then, he decides to change his life fundamentally. Raised in the rural parts of New Jersey, Ryan remembers the excitement of being free in the wild. He quits his job and accepts the challenge of the Appalachian Trail, which is more than two thousand miles long. Ryan hikes from Georgia to Maine, meets many incredible people, and ruminates over his life choices. Wander by Ryan Benz appeals to fans of memoirs, adventure, and inspirational literature.

Ryan Benz's Wander is an engaging story of overtaking self-imposed limitations. Ryan is very honest with himself and his readers throughout the book. He openly speaks about his mistakes and describes his misfortunes on the trail with sparkling humor. Ryan's first encounter with a bear gives us chills and makes us smile at the same time. The author's sense of humor is contagious, and the wisdom he shares is priceless. "I was comfortable with the illusion," says Ryan about his old life. The author's experience on the Appalachian Trail shows that such a journey is not for the faint-hearted and requires enormous willpower at every stage. I appreciated Ryan's stories about the people called "trail angels," like the hospitable Linda, whom he met in Hartford, Vermont, and vivid descriptions of the natural wonders the author observed along the way. Also, Ryan raises awareness of cystic fibrosis, gently nudging us toward a better understanding of those battling it.