Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly

Narrated by Mark Sanderlin

Something Wild and Wonderful is a book that takes its time without ever being slow. Most of the book takes place on the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2500 mile long trek from Mexico to Canada. The PCT goes through deserts, mountains, and forests, and puts high demands on those hiking it, which makes it a perfect backdrop for this story. Hiking the trail narrows life down to the basics and helps people learn what’s truly important.

Alexei Lebedev is hiking the trail to regain some inner peace and plan the rest of his life. Six months ago he came out to his parents and they quietly disowned him. Alexei grew up in a conservative Russian immigrant family whose entire lives revolved around the teaching and activities of their church. Now Alexei feels anchorless, navigating a world he’s not familiar with since his upbringing was so sheltered. He’s decided he’ll restart life in another part of the country, and the months on the PCT are to help him figure out where. The hiking and camping turns out to be bittersweet, however, since it was his father who instilled in him a love of nature and birding.

Alexei is only a few hours along the trail when he comes across a rattlesnake blocking his path, so when he hears a hiker blundering along the trail behind him, he sticks out his arm to block him from stepping on the snake. The two stand there a while, exchanging only a few words, and watch the snake finally slither away. (This is a great scene and is quite humorous.) The hiker, who introduces himself as Ben, is joined by a few fellow hikers he met on the trail. They invite Alexei to come along. He declines, since he’s a bit awkward with people, plus he’s hiking for solitude so he can make those important decisions.

Ben Caravalho is also walking the trail to mark the start of a new direction in life. His impulsivity and live-in-the-moment attitude has meant some bad decisions and several failed relationships. Recently though, Ben found himself in the right place at the right time to help his family. A beloved aunt was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and he was available to take care of her and drive her to appointments. With this inspiration, he got his nursing certificate and now plans to take responsibility for his life. This trip is to say goodbye to being “unreliable” and hello to his new responsible self.

Of course, Ben and Alexei meet again, and Ben basically invites himself to hike with Alexei for a while. Hiking “families” form and reform frequently to suit the differing needs of the hikers. Ben and Alexei decide to hike together and help each other navigate their weak spots. I truly enjoyed this part of the book, as Alexei and Ben hike together and get to know each other, gradually sharing parts of their back stories. Alexei reads as neurodivergent, and Ben intuitively picks up on what helps him and what causes anxiety. His natural empathy and ability to read people is what makes him such a good fit for geriatric nursing, which is his goal. Both main characters’ self-esteem issues make for the biggest conflict in the book because they can’t see themselves as good candidates for a long term relationship. Ben does make one mistake that feels somewhat out of character early on, but overall their missteps feel natural and understandable, and the eventual resolution of their issues is believable.

Mark Sanderlin is a new-to-me narrator and I am pleased to say I enjoyed him immensely. His voice is a little higher pitched than some male narrators, but that worked perfectly. Alexei’s voice is just a bit atonal, which is perfect for his anxiety and neurodivergence. It’s so well done and fits Alexei exactly. Ben’s exuberance and open, friendly attitude is easy to hear in Sanderlin’s voicing of the character. The secondary cast is well differentiated and the female voices are well done and believable. I honestly don’t have anything negative to say about the narration, and I can’t wait to listen to Mark Sanderlin again.

Something Wild and Wonderful is a wonderful character-driven story. Through the weeks and months Ben and Alexei walk the trail together, both come to understand themselves and their situations in a clearer light, and also to connect with each other. It’s emotional and wonderful to watch. With realistically written emotions, vividly drawn characters, splashes of humor, and the excellent narration as a bonus, I’m happy to recommend this book on audio.

Carrie