Cheryl Strayed seemed to be subjected to a lot of double standards regarding her honest account of what she experienced.

Personally, I examined at it from another angle, when I read her book. Cheryl seemed to grow along her journey and transformed from merely 'acting out' to being aware of her feelings and motives, while she healed from a tremendous loss. The appeal of her story was its universal message that we are all on a journey to heal our injuries and grow stronger and more self-aware.