The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2,653 mile hiking trail running from Mexico to Canada. And in Aspen Matis’ memoir Girl in the Woods, she recounts how she hiked that trail as a solo hiker. Prior to hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, Matis was raped by a classmate, and her hiking journey helped her emotionally heal from the attack.

The book truly shows how difficult navigating the Pacific Crest Trail is, especially for a solo hiker. It is a physically taxing long-distance hike, and Matis even landed in the hospital with MRSA before she went back and fully completed the trek. And the natural elements are not the only scary things along the trail; you never know what kind of people – friendly or dangerous – you are going to run into on the trail. It was interesting to learn about Matis throughout the book; you can tell that nothing would stop her from going on this trip. Matis has studied creative writing, which is evident in her memoir, and her descriptions of the places and people along the trail bring her story to life.