This was a story of survival, sort of. There was much more to it, which really didn't work for me. I found the chapters where Valerie talked to her mother boring. I enjoyed Beverly's point of view. But overall I didn't connect with any of the characters. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

A really lovely book. Each of the three perspectives was crafted with such care and I felt deeply invested in each thread of the story, as it came together. Gaige is also a master of setting and wilderness writing—no small feat. A beautiful, lyrical mystery for readers who want beautiful sentences and a immersive story.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Heartwood.
Character development is excellent. The novel centers on three women who bring a unique perspective to the story.
A woman lost in the woods, a detective determined to find her and a disabled woman who is following the case of the missing woman.
Truly fascinating plot and fast paced.
This is suspenseful and very compelling.
Told in the POV aid the women I was engrossed in the book from the start.
A fast read and heartfelt.
3.5!stats
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"Heartwood" by Amity Gaige presents a gripping narrative that intertwines the lives of three women, making for a compelling read. The novel draws parallels to Cheryl Strayed’s "Wild," yet it uniquely centers around a missing person case, adding an intriguing layer of suspense.

The plot follows Valerie, a nurse who goes missing while hiking the Appalachian Trail after navigating the challenges of the COVID pandemic. Simultaneously, Lt. Bev, a Warden, undertakes the search efforts in Maine, while Lena shares a mysterious connection to both women.

Though this genre is outside my usual preferences, I found myself captivated and read the book in one sitting. The themes of maternal bonds and female strength resonated with me. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Heartwood by Amity Gaige keeps you on the edge of your seat moving back and forth between a hiker who is lost in the woods of Maine, and those searching for her. I liked the way the author really dug deep into the personalities and lives of the voices in the novel. The author was very adept at giving the reader a real feel for the psyche of the hiker and those who were searching for her. I highly recommend!

Captivating account of hiking the Appalachian Trail, struggling through Covid and family dynamics. Read almost in one sitting as she held my interest so well. Great for book clubs as good topics for discussion.

Heartwood by Amity Gaige is a beautifully written novel about family, love, and self-discovery. Through a poignant and introspective narrative, Gaige explores the complexities of relationships and identity. A thoughtful, character-driven story that resonates deeply.

There is way too much going on in this book to allow the reader to become fully immersed the story. Between the point of view of the game warden leading the search, interviews with other hikers, a seemingly random woman who inserts herself into the search, and letters written by the missing hiker to her mother (which felt overwrought and a little too precious at the same time) the pace of the story felt like a dreary slog through the woods. Some of the writing was lovely, and the setting of the Maine woods was well presented, but this was mostly pretty disappointing.

To be totally honest, despite the fact that I saw a friend raving about this one, I went into it with very medium expectations. I am the opposite of outdoorsy and reading about the search for a missing hiker on the Appalachian Trail didn’t sound like a plot I’d be invested in. Thankfully, I gave this a go and I’m so glad I did.

The story mainly focuses on three different women and each of these characters had such a distinct voice and personality it felt like I knew them all deeply and I was incredibly invested in each of their stories.

Beverly, the Maine State Game Warden (and one of my favorite characters!), leads the search on the ground for the missing nurse while Lena, a birdwatching enthusiast in a retirement home, dabbles in a bit of armchair detective work. Meanwhile, thanks to her journal, readers are able to witness firsthand what Valerie is experiencing in the middle of the Maine wilderness.

I wouldn’t call this a thriller but it’s definitely suspenseful and once I hit the halfway point I barely came up for air. Again, I adored these characters and think it’s so rare to find a book (at least the books I typically read) with so many genuinely decent people.

I loved the theme of complex mother-daughter relationships and at times I was blown away by the prose. The only thing I didn’t love was, not surprisingly, some of the nitty gritty outdoorsy stuff. I know one nurse that wouldn’t last a day on her own in the wild (me!)!

Written with "enormous literary ambition" per the blurb, Heartwood is genre-classed as a mystery/thriller, which both unnerved and intrigued me because I could see how it could easily go interestingly right or sloggingly wrong. And it went...more the first than the second, so okay.

Did that mean I loved it? I wouldn't go that far, but it was pretty good for all that it had a handful of moments that seemed to be yearning for the Women's Fiction shelf. I don't have much to complain about, this just wasn't really for me I think. But if you're looking for "enormous literary ambition" in your missing white woman story you'd probably like this a lot.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.

Rather good. I had low expectations - that this would be a straightforward category offering. But it’s much better than that, finely written, suspenseful of course, but plangent too in its characters, relationships and atmosphere. A little too padded, now and then, but creative most of the time, atmospheric and not too sentimental. Well done.

Heartwood has a premise that caught my eye and it starts out well, but I'm not a fan of multiple POVs or timelines, and if I don't relate or feel connected somehow with a character in a book, I simply cannot care for what goes on. Sadly, that's what happened here.
I didn't dislike any of the main characters. I simply didn't clique with them so I couldn't care for all that was going on.
I thought it was interestingly atmospheric, but in general I couldn't care.
Amity Gaige's writing is decent and well done, but I'm starting to think that maybe I am not the right audience for this book. And that's fine. I'm sure this book will resonate better with other readers.
Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love stories that are told from alternating points of view, advancing the narrative while giving us insight into the characters, their backgrounds, and their motivations - unfolding like a trail of bread crumbs until they all converge, and you can finally see how all the (sometimes seemingly completely unrelated) pieces fit together. This story starts slowly, but it picks up the pace as it goes along - but I'd call it more of a mystery than a suspenseful thriller. The two main plotlines revolve around Valerie, a nurse who has gone missing from her hike on the Appalachian Trail, and Bev, the Maine Game warden who is leading the search for Valier. Alongside, there's Lena, a 76-year-old resident of a CT retirement home, who ends up getting unwittingly drawn into the search from afar. There is very rich character development, and some really wonderful commentary on family - the one we're born into, and the ones we choose - that rounds out the story, giving it a real level of depth that is sometimes lacking in a mystery. This is the first Amity Gaige I've read, and I will definitely be exploring her backlist now!

Heartwood is a beautifully written story told from the point of view of three women. Valerie is a 42 year old nurse who goes missing while hiking the Appalachian trail. Lt. Bev is the Maine game warden who is in charge of the search and rescue mission. The third narrator, Lena, is an elderly, disabled woman living in an assisted living facility who is closely following the search online. Intermingled in the story line is the mother-daughter relationships of these characters. The story and the characters grabbed me from the beginning and never let go. It was moving, suspenseful and left a lot for the reader to think about. This was a new author for me and I intend to seek out her previous and future books. I highly recommend this novel and thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review..

I am not someone who adores hiking; I pretend to be asleep at the mention of a hike, particularly since my brother has moved to LA where everyone hikes. Oddly, like Lena in the story, I much prefer books. And even more oddly, I really love books about the wilderness. The writing of this novel is absolutely beautiful, the three intersecting tales, the post pandemic paralysis that so many of us face(d) and a need to heal in some way. It was engaging and poetic and I loved all the subtle characters and characterizations that brought this to life.

Heartwood is presented as a suspenseful book about the search and rescue of Valerie Gillis, a 42-year-old nurse hiking the Appalachian Trail, who has gone missing in the Maine wilderness. We have Valerie's point of view as she writes letters to her mother in journal while lost in the wilds, the point of view of Lt. Beverly, a Maine Game Warden leading the search for Valerie, and also Lena, a woman in her mid 60s in Connecticut who has a fascination with foraging and bird watching and somehow becomes pulled into the search as an armchair detective that just might crack the case.
This book is relatively short and felt a bit muddled and confusing to me. I definitely did not get any suspenseful thriller vibes from it at all, and it seemed heavy on the exploration of the mother-daughter relationship rather than focusing heavily on the actual search of Valerie. The threads connecting Valerie, Bev, and Lena in particular felt quite thin and as a result the plot of the novel didn't really hit the mark for me. Not to say that Amity Gaige isn't a talented author, I just was left feeling unsatisfied and slightly confused by this book. I did read it from start to finish and didn't hate the experience so I will round up from 2.5 stars to 3 overall. For me though, I don't see reading any future books by this author nor would I go out of my way to recommend this book to other readers.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

"Heartwood" wasn't my cup of tea, but I also don't think I was its intended target audience. I just could not get into this book, and felt annoyed by most of the characters. I realistically think other people with a different set of interests and identities would enjoy this book, but I am not one of them.

fantastic, well written thriller about the woods and drama and all that thats really well written! i loved the characters and the setup. 5 stars. tysm for te arc.

Valerie is a nruse who decides to hike the Appalachian Trail to recover from caring for patients during the pandemic.
When she misses a check in with her husband, Beverly, a Maine state Game Warden, oversees the search and
rescue operation. Interviews with AT hikers and family members provide more information about Valerie while
her journal to her mother details what happened. Bev deals with the lack of progress made while pushung
aside dealing with her mother's situation. Lena, a resident at a nursing home, may have information that will help
locate Valerie. Multiple POVs add to the story.
#Heartwood #Simon&Schuster #NetGalley

I loved this book! Beautiful prose, humor, unique characters- excellent! Wonderful commentary
on mother-daughter relationships without being sappy or cliche. I would strongly recommend
this book and look forward to more work novels from Amity Gaige.