This is a 5 star book, which is rare for me. I was drawn to it because of it taking place in Appalachia, where I've lived all my life. This story immediately drew me in, wondering what had happened to cause this father and daughter to live in the woods on their own. Their story is unraveled at just the right pace. I don't want to spoil it by saying too much, but this story is very emotional and brought me to tears. Definitely, definitely read this!

4.5 stars. What a delightful gem this novel is! The story of Cooper and his eight-year-old daughter Finch, living an isolated life in a remote cabin in the woods of Appalachia, is a powerful and emotional one. The powerful relationship between father and daughter — and the lengths to which a father will go to protect and care for her — is at the core of this novel. (In some respects, it reminded me of the relationship between Atticus Finch and his daughter Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird.) And, although this novel is filled with plenty of suspense, it is also tightly plotted with well-developed characters (especially Cooper, an army veteran who suffers from what must be PTSD, and Finch, a precocious, witty and lovable young girl).

Cooper and Finch have no contact with the outside world, except for an annual visit from Jake, Cooper’s army buddy who brings them supplies, an unexpected (and usually unwelcome) visits from their neighbor Scotland. The reader learns, though flashbacks, what caused Cooper to take his daughter while an infant from society and to escape into basic isolation and why he is so determined to keep them from the outside world. The ending is not only unexpected but also a heartbreaking and emotional one.

All in all, this is definitely a beautifully written read to savor, one in which themes of selflessness, solitude, grace and redemption take center stage. I enjoyed it immensely.

“These Silent Woods” was an emotional roller coaster. For the majority of the book, there wasn’t a lot of substance and parts became repetitive. However, by the end I was in tears by the overwhelming sadness and emotion portrayed!

Such a beautiful book. Not too thriller-y like i thought it would be but it was quite a good read overall. I liked the setting and descriptions of the mountain area quite a bit. The dynamic between father and daughter was really special to read and touched my heart. I recommend this book!

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book and the lengths that Cooper goes to protect Finch. That said, I didn’t feel as emotionally invested in the characters as other reviewers. That said, the themes about redemption were notable.

All About Finch

Cooper and Finch live in the woods in a cabin. They never leave the woods. Their only contact is with Cooper's friend Jake who brings them supplies once a year and their neighbor Scotland. If anyone comes around they hide in the basement. Some secret from their past means they must stay hidden. All cooper will tell Finch is I did what I had to do
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This is a story of love and mystery. Of a young soldier returning from Afghanistan with PTSD. His girlfriend and the baby they have together. The same baby he brought to the cabin and has been raising for eight years. It is about the love of a father for his child and what he did to keep her.
The story of an event witnessed by his daughter in the forest, a second chance for him in romance and in love. The gift from a neighbor and the love of Jake's sister Marie.

The story appears to go one way and it turns in a different direction. It is a good read and the characters are perfect, I loved them all. I especially liked the ending, very well done with an unexpected twist at the end.

I enjoyed reading the story and I would recommend it.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own .
Thanks to Kimi Cunningham Grant, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley,

This novel just didn't do anything for me. Nothing impactful or intriguing happened, especially for a psychological thriller. I feel like this story has been told time and time again. About an irresponsible man with a terrible past -living in total isolation with his daughter. I also wasn't impressed with the writing style. Felt too simple and under-whelming. It did have a slight spooky factor, but not enough tension to make this book memorable.

I’m sorry to say I DNF’d this one. I just couldn’t get behind the storyline of a father completely isolating his daughter from everything and everyone while saying he was doing it all for her. He was a selfish jackass who didn’t deserve to have a child.

After reading the synopsis of this book I had to request it. I just finished this book and this was definitely an intense soul crushing book.

I've always been interested in people who get lost in the woods and have to survive as well as people who live off the grid in the woods and live off the I find it fascinating and this story was definitely fascinating. And I really enjoyed the cabin in the woods atmospheric effects.

I absolutely love Finch and I loved Cooper but while I was reading I really wanted to know what Cooper done in his past life

I loved this intense, heartfelt, sad beautiful story. I truly recommend this story

I highly recommend it to everyone

My thoughts and opinions of this review are of my own and only my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this arc with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exhange for an honest review.
"These Silent Woods" by Kimi Cunningham Grant was such a surprise.
It was a beautifully written novel about grief, loyalty & sacrifice.
This book will definitely punch you in the gut & make you cry but the ending will be a truly happy one.
I highly recommend it.

This was a great, atmospheric, mysterious read, and is very emotional. Cooper is ex-Army, and he and his daughter Finch have been living in the woods since Finch was a baby. She's now 8 years old. They are living off the grid, for reasons we do not know until the end. One of Cooper's Army friends, Jake, brings out supplies for them once a year. There is also a so-called neighbor, Scotland, that also visits them there, and Cooper doesn't really know what this guy is all about and if he's a friend or not. Will he expose them? We know that Cooper suffers from PTSD and is a loving father trying to keep his daughter safe from the outside world.

This book is such a beautiful, character driven novel, with a great, descriptive setting in the Appalachian woods. I loved reading this story, and was so curious about what Cooper was hiding from. This book will definitely punch you in the gut and make you shed some tears, but also ends the way you would hope! Highly recommend!!


Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy! All opinions are my own!

Beautiful story. The extremes a person will go to for someone they love is real. This story was so well written. As I was reading, I closed my eyes a few times to picture this story, and I had such a clear picture of what was happening.
I loved Cooper and Finch. They both had strong personalities that were easy to understand. I will be recommending others to pick up this book.

This book was gritty and full of suspense! I really felt like I was there in the woods with these characters. Something dark and ominous is hinted at frequently as the main character faces challenges keeping his daughter safe. I was anxiously turning the pages in anticipation of some kind of big reveal. While this book is creepy in some parts, I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as a thriller. There is an overall theme of survival and with that, a powerful message of the strength of a father-daughter bond, and what lengths a parent might go to in order to protect their child no matter what cost.

I could say so much more about this book but I feel like you just need to go in blind. However I must say that the ending was just perfection. I really loved this book and hope everyone picks up a copy!

Thank you to #netgalley and @minotaurbooks for my advanced e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress and @minotaur_books for this advance copy.
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Easily one of my favorite books this year. This is the timely story of a father and Afghanistan veteran living with his daughter in near isolation deep in the woods. Secrets of the past give a sense of underlying tension, while current day events create an urgency that threaten to bring those secrets to light. I stayed up late into the night, absolutely sobbing through the last twenty percent of the story. The ending completely blew me away and the author’s note was the icing on the cake. This book is for readers who love an atmospheric story of suspense, redemption and God’s grace.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A man with a past he is running from lives in desolate cold cabin while raising his young daughter. A tragedy occurs nearby and their lives are uprooted. The conclusion is heartwarming and unexpected.

I didn't know what to expect with These Silent Woods, but I wasn't expecting it to pull at my heartstrings the way it did. It completely broke my heart and put it back together again.

The story follows father and daughter, Cooper and Finch, and their lives hidden away in the Appalachian mountains. They are hiding from their past and only their neighbor knows about it. Initially, the story only gives short insights into what happened, and then around the middle of the book, the full story comes out.

These Silent Woods is truly about survival and a father's love. It's a beautifully written book and will leave you in tears.

4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

OMG THIS BOOK DESTROYED ME. I just finished and cannot recommend enough! This will easily be in my top 10 of the year. So, so good. What a unique & original story. Loved loved loved.

I really loved this emotional mystery. Cooper [father) and Finch (daughter) have been living in an isolated cabin in the mountains since Finch was an infant. The story unfolds little by little as how they became to be in this situation to begin with. Cooper is a veteran with Post-traumatic stress disorder, raising his daughter the best he can, but Finch is getting older and realizes she might be missing out on what the outside world has to offer. The only person they have contact with is a neighbor who silently shows up from time to time making Cooper feel uncomfortable, and seems like he could be a threat to their self imposed isolation. The only friend that Cooper has in the world that he can trust shows up once a year with supplies that get them through the hard life that Cooper has chosen for them. Then…..one day while out deer hunting, Cooper and Finch spot a young woman roaming around taking pictures, and their world as they know it starts to unravel.

Brilliant writing and a terrific story line will keep you racing to the last page, with an absolutely stunning ending. I would give this book 10 stars if I could. Thank You to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press Minotaur Books and the author Kimi Cunningham Grant for allowing me to read this fantastic novel.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the arc of this book. This more general fiction instead of Mystery/thriller. Hard core thriller readers might not love this if they are expecting lots of "twists and turns", but they would be missing out on a superb book.
The characters were really good, and had Catherine Ryan Hyde vibes. I loved the story and how it developed. It was interesting to read about how Coop and Finch survived off the grid. Add in the danger of being found out and it was a suspenseful read.
If you feel that the story is too slow for you, I urge you to read it to the end. I stayed up until 2:30 am and it was worth the lost sleep!

A soldier........in a place faraway.

This one gutted me. Up-ended me in its telling.

These Silent Woods scratches at those places in the heart that are sacred. Those dark corners in which we only allow those who hear the same hymn of humanity that we do. That not everything in this world is plainly black and white or can be explained with the given words of others. And the admitting that love is complicated from start to finish. It's as personal as the breath we breathe.

Kenny Morrison is one of tens of thousands of nineteen year olds who stepped forward to serve his country much like those similar in the Vietnam War. His life was typical in youth when there are not a lot of avenues for those born with limited finances and expectations. Kenny served three tours in Kabul, Afghanistan finishing well in Ranger School during the "War On Terror". But like Vietnam Vets, Kenny experienced the unspeakable. His mind wrestled with his thoughts. The visuals swam back and forth inside his head. Surely, he suffered from PTSD, but like all the others, you swallowed it down.

Upon returning stateside, Kenny connected with his high school sweetheart, Cindy. They both existed at different ends of the tangent. Cindy's parents were wealthy and Kenny's mother abandoned him as a child. But they clung together and the result was their infant daughter, Grace Elizabeth. And here's where the story escalates as Kenny runs off with his daughter after Cindy's death. Her parents aimed to take the baby away from him.

Kenny now known as "Cooper" and Grace is known as "Finch". They take refuge in a cabin in the Appalachian mountains owned by his fellow military friend, Jake. We will come to know the hardships that face both father and daughter through these years. The only neighbor they have is Scotland who checks on them occasionally. Cooper vows to never reveal their past.

Kimi Cunningham Grant is a gifted writer. She has an uncanny way of keeping her finger on the pulse of these individual characters. We feel "the shift" that is happening as the years go by and the adjustments that must be made to keep Finch safe. The father/daughter relationship is a solid one even though Cooper has not much of a blueprint of what a family actually may be. And when others intrude in this forest hideaway, decisions must be made under heartrendering circumstances. Don't miss this one. It's not just a read but an experience.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press (Minotaur Books) and to Kimi Cunningham Grant for the opportunity.