"Brave Enough" is the work of best-selling author Cheryl Strayed. Strayed is best known for her bestselling memoir, "Wild," which is an account of her hard-won, life-changing 1,100-mile trek on the Pacific Crest Trail in the mid-1990s. She is also the straight-talking, compassionate advice giver of the "Dear Sugar" advice column for the literary website the Rumpus.
I received "Brave Enough" as a birthday gift from a very good friend of mine. In fact, the person who gave this book to me is probably my best friend. She has been to my emotional rescue more times than I can count. She knows what I struggle with - my regrets, my fears. She read this book of quotes and passages and believed it was something I needed to read and reread. And so I did.
This little 135-page book doesn't look like much, but do not let that fool you. It packs a powerful punch. It is comprised of more than 100 of Strayed's unconventional quotes and thoughts. She is no stranger to heartache and loss. She lost all contact with her father after her parents' divorce. Her mother died of cancer when she was 22 years old. She is a former heroin addict. And while Strayed has been tangled up in many a mess of her own making, she finds the inner strength to overcome her circumstances and carry on.
Her resilience, spunk and tenacity are just as evident in this book as in her other writings. Strayed is not for the faint of heart. She likes to use the "f" word. She uses it for emphasis. She uses it to wake you up.
I read this book in one sitting, and I will no doubt read it again. There are passages of such raw honesty that resonated with me so thoroughly I openly wept as I read. Like so many, I have loved and lost. I've had a lot of emotional ups and downs in recent years. I need Strayed's tough love. I need to be brave enough, too. Somewhere deep inside of me while reading this small, powerful book, I knew I would be.
Strayed's words speak to me: "You have to keep walking, no matter what. If you don't, it's a living death. You're just standing in one place dying."
If you are looking for a book to give a friend who has had a difficult year, look no further: this is your book.
Claudia Schoonover is the director of Missouri River Regional Library.