Out of the Woods: A Memoir of Wayfinding

In a radiant, brave memoir, Darling, a journalist and memoirist (Necessary Sins), recalls a difficult time shortly after her daughter goes off to college and Darling moves from New York City to the remote woods of Woodstock, Vt. A widow in her mid-%E2%80%9950s, Darling finds the woods around her small, eclectic house at the end of the road inviting yet frightening, and soon learns how %E2%80%9Cdirectionally challenged%E2%80%9D she is%E2%80%94thus vulnerable. Having fled her life in the city out of a sense of failure and shame, she admits that she no longer knows what map of her life . She turns to a point by point %E2%80%9Cmetaphysical%E2%80%9D to-do list, including %E2%80%9Cget sense of direction; find authentic way to live; figure out how to be old; deal with sex; learn Latin.%E2%80%9D With her companion a yellow Lab puppy she named Henry, and occasionally help from wilderness experts%E2%80%94or a compass and a map%E2%80%94Darling embarks on a clarifying journey of self-navigation. Despite being sidetracked by cancer and a year of grueling treatments, which she endured largely alone, she gradually finds her moorings, emerging from this dark spell with a profound and grateful understanding of what it means to take responsibility for yourself. (Jan.)