About the Book

On her second night of college, amidst the excitement of new friends, new classes, and a new campus, Aspen Matis was raped by a fellow freshman. She stumbled through her first semester until she finally decided to run. The only road in sight: the 2,650 mile Pacific Crest Trail leading from Mexico to Canada.

Now, in this grippingly honest and inspiring memoir of adventure, Aspen recounts her journey from shattered girl to self-reliant woman, as she discovered herself in the wilderness of the American West. Along the way, she learns to trust others again, but more importantly she learns to trust herself. A poignant testament to the transformative power of self-reliance, Girl In The Woods is a story of survival, self-discovery, and liberation, but most of all, it is a story of finding hope and healing in nature.

Critical Praise

“Beautiful and so wildly engaging.” — Lena Dunham

“Brave and poetic. Aspen Matis is one of the few genetic writers.” — Ben Folds, frontman of Ben Folds Five

“A lovely tribute to the healing power of wilderness.” — Nicholas Kristof, winner of the Pulitzer Prize

“This is a very brave book—because there is an open wound in Girl in the Woods, and it never really closes. It becomes a new organ—of doubt, questioning—that remakes both the body and the mind.” — Greil Marcus, Rolling Stone rock critic and New York Times bestselling author

“Aspen Matis reveals wisdoms that are gems—bright and inspiring. This book will astonish you.” — Shelly Oria, author of New York 1, Tel Aviv 0

“Soulful, heartfelt, and transcendent. Girl in the Woods teaches us that writing is a way to heal, empower ourselves, and turn our worst experiences into beautiful art.” — Kenan Trebincevic, author of The Bosnia List

Mercy. I love this story. — Cheryl Strayed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wild

“Girl in the Woods is a breathtaking, gorgeous and profoundly wise book. I cried my way through it. Every young woman, old woman, man and boy should read it.” — Bonnie Nadzam, author of Lamb, winner of the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize

“A mesmerizing journey from tragedy to triumph. Aspen shows us how any girl—even the once lost and disempowered—can transform herself and become the director of her own life.” — Caity Lotz, actress, award-winning AMC show Mad Men

“Told with exceptional beauty and extraordinary confidence. Matis is a once-in-a-generation talent.” — Bryan Hurt, author of Everyone Wants to Be an Ambassador to France

“Compelling and intense... should be essential reading in dorm rooms across the country.” — Interview Magazine

“Gripping...a must-read.” — Cosmopolitan

“Matis writes vividly of the culture of the PCT—the special treats the locals put out for hikers to find, called ‘trail magic,’ or the ‘trail angels’ who host hikers in small towns along the way—and she is bold in her willingness to expose her psychic wounds.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Engrossing...suspenseful....rewarding.” — Booklist

“A brave book by a brave wild child writer. Matis’s journey is more than a riveting trip up the Pacific Crest Trail, it’s a story of a young woman who won’t let anything -be it rattlesnakes or ignorance about the trauma of rape-stop her from rediscovering her own power.” — Leigh Newman, author of Still Points North

“…Rebirth is palpable.” — Library Journal

“An important book of hope and healing.” — Abby Sher, author of Amen, Amen, Amen

“With the pacing of a page-turning novel, Matis has written an emotionally honest, poignant and poetic debut memoir.” — Alice Feiring, author of The Battle for Wine and Love

“Girl In The Woods is eminently compelling, and taken as a whole is a valuable portrait of an actual human’s experience that hides in a rape statistic.” — AV Club

“[An] excellent memoir.” — Dover Post

“...a triumphant journey that ELLE readers found “beautifully written,” gripping,” and “brave.” — Elle

“...a story about the power to overcome a crippling emotional trauma...” — Pop Sugar

“...a bold story of a woman finding her strength and self-reliance that’s told with honesty and intensity.” — Bust Magazine

“Matis writes with a rawness that refuses to hold back...filled with small moments of awe...I was struck by how far she had come…she seemed years more mature than the young woman at the start of the journey. Girl in the Woods is a touching memoir that...unleashes clarity.” — Ms. magazine

-

Product Details

• ISBN: 9780062291073
• ISBN 10: 0062291076
• Imprint: William Morrow Paperbacks
• On Sale: 06/14/2016
• Trimsize: 5.310 in (w) x 8.000 in (h) x 0.930 in (d)
• Pages: 416
• List Price: $21.99
• BISAC1 : BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Survival
• BISAC2 : BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Sports
• BISAC3 : SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sexual Abuse & Harassment
• BISAC4 : SPORTS & RECREATION / Boxing
• BISAC5 : SPORTS & RECREATION / Cycling
• BISAC6 : SPORTS & RECREATION / Fishing
• BISAC7 : SPORTS & RECREATION / Hiking
• BISAC8 : BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Women
• BISAC9 : SPORTS & RECREATION / Walking
• BISAC10 : BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Personal Memoirs