Heartwood drew me in from the beginning. As a reader, we share the worries and fears of the family and rescuers as they search dense forests for the lost hiker. At times the story drags on, but that only reinforces the senses of agony and frustration on the part of the searchers. Bottom line, an interesting story on a non-conventional topic, highly recommended.

Heartwood is a beauty of a book. Told in mainly the different perspectives, the list hiker, the Lt. Ranger determined to find her, the elderly forager states away,
mining the clues, Gaige's novelexplores hope, love, mother-daughter relationships, what it means to be lost, and what it means to be found and in the process, what it means to be human. Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Shuster for the opportunity to read this wonderful eArc. 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Heartwood" by Amity Gaige is a mesmerizing novel that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. This is a story about three women, each lost in their own way. Valerie, a nurse haunted by her experiences during the pandemic, seeks solace in the wilderness, only to find herself truly lost. Beverly, a seasoned game warden, is determined to find Valerie, but she's also battling her own personal demons. And then there's Lena, an elderly woman with a sharp mind and a keen interest in the case, who becomes an unlikely armchair detective. These women are complex, flawed, and utterly compelling. Their strength and resilience shine through as they navigate their individual challenges.

The suspense in "Heartwood" is palpable. From the moment Valerie disappears, you're on the edge of your seat, needing to know what happened to her. Gaige expertly weaves together the narratives of the three women, keeping you guessing until the very end. It is a page turner that will keep you reading until the last page.

But "Heartwood" is more than just a suspenseful thriller. It's a story about the power of the human spirit, the importance of community and connection, and the enduring bonds between mothers and daughters. Gaige's writing is both beautiful and insightful, exploring the depths of human emotion with grace and sensitivity.

This novel is a testament to the strength of women, the resilience of the human spirit, and the power of connection. It's a must-read for anyone who loves a good suspense story with depth and heart.

Valerie is a 42-year-old nurse, an experienced hiker on the Appalachian Trail. In Maine, nearing her destination, she vanishes … lost in the woods. Beverly, an experienced Maine Game Warden, heads up the search. A 76-year-old woman, tied to her electric scooter, becomes focused on trying to solve the disappearance.

This is an incredibly well-written novel that not only explores the mystery of the disappearance but also has much to say about friendships, and the relationships between mothers and daughters.

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I can definitely put this in the *must read* category. Almost a five. I am perhaps too generous with 4s and too stingy with 5s. This would be a 5 if I was a bit more giving. LOL.

What got my attention was that this is a story about hiking the Appalachian Trail, but it is so much more than that. It is told from the perspective of three women- the missing hiker, the Maine Game Warden in charge of finding her, and a lonesome woman in a retirement community with a love of foraging and botany. I loved this novel because it did so much in under 300 pages! Emotional, visually stunning, suspenseful, poetic, I felt like I was with each of these women as their part of the story was told. I couldn’t wait to see how their paths converged. I can’t wait to recommend and share this book with customers!

Valerie vanishes towards the end of her AT thru-hike. A cast of characters (another unlikely through hiker, an elderly forager in a retirement community, an ex with a potential grudge, and an off-grid survivalist) could know where she is, or they could be at fault for her disappearance. This was a masterful exploration of what it means to be lost, and to be found. Gaige's writing about the natural world is beautiful and Valerie is a character we can root for all the way through the end.

I live about a mile from one of the Appalachian Trail heads in Massachusetts, so I’ve seen my fair share of thru-hikers and have stopped to deliver trail magic to some from time to time. When I read the premise of this book, I thought it sounded fascinating and not my typical type of read. I was delighted to be gifted a copy.

Valerie Gillis vanished 200 miles from the final leg of her AT hike. Alone in the deep woods of Maine, Valerie must rely on her nursing skills and her journal to keep her hopes high and battle the elements while struggling to stay alive.

The story unfolds from three perspectives – Valerie, the lost hiker; Beverly, the warden organizing the search; and Lena, an elderly woman turned armchair detective several hundred miles from the action. The perspectives take us through the search while also sharing some back stories and the resilience of each of these women.

Part literary suspense, this story inspires the larger questions of the many ways in which we get lost, and how we are found. It’s a redemptive story, an ode to the relationship of mothers and daughters and the strength of a woman’s character. I devoured this book and recommend it to anyone in need of a book that will transport you to a strong sense of time and place.

Thank you Amity Gaige, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for a digital copy of the book for an honest review.

Thanks Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for providing this ARC. When I started this, I kept thinking it felt more like a non-fiction narrative. Eventually I learned the main (missing) character was based on a true story, and I had previously read a bit about that situation so I guess that’s why. Overall, pretty good storytelling, although the end (to me) felt inevitable and predictable. So maybe a little too closely based on the true life situation?

HEARTWOOD by Amity Gaige is an emotionally satisfying adventure story, told from multiple perspectives.

There is the Adirondack Trail hiker, Valerie Gillis, lost deep in the Maine woods, recovering from the trauma of being a nurse during the Covid outbreak. During her isolation, she records the interior and exterior struggles in her notebook. There is the Maine State Warden Service team searching for her, led by the indomitable Lieutenant Beverly Miller. In addition to plotting the search maneuvers, she must deal with her own, the team’s and Valerie’s family’s emotions. There is the accidental detective, Lena Kucharski, adventurous in her wheelchair and online. At her age and literally and figuratively “stuck,”, will she be able to change and make a difference?

Each of these narrative strains are handled differently, and well. Each principal invokes a wider cast of characters with whom they interact and learn about themselves in the midst of this grueling search. Each of the main characters has deep mother issues. To tell the truth, that gets almost as intense as the race to save Valerie.

The Maine backwoods setting, as well as the intricacies of hiking the AT, adds great interest. The writing is great, and blessedly, there is no evil presence. Just flawed human beings, doing the best they can.

With thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can already tell this book will be one of my favorites this year. I didn't want to put it down. I thought this book was beautifully written.

Heartwood is a tale of survival, resilience, and hope set in the backwoods of Maine.
Valerie Gillis, a 42-year-old nurse is hiking the Appalachian Trail in an attempt to cope with post COVID burn out. She is very near the end of her journey, when she goes missing and is declared lost along the trail.
Lt. Beverly Miller is the Maine State Game Warden charged with the massive search and rescue mission undertaken in hopes of locating the missing hiker.
Lena is a 70-something Connecticut retirement community resident whose wilderness survival and foraging skills
As the days pass and Valerie’s survival becomes less and less likely, the lives of these three women unexpectedly intersect when Valerie disappears from the trail.
Gaige writes with tension that has the reader anxiously awaiting the outcome, and builds a cast of complex characters. The novel explores a variety of themes with particular focus on mother/daughter relationships and the fragility of human circumstance.

As someone who’s lived in Maine near that stretch of the AT, it has always seemed like a haunting and intense setting rife for this sort of story. The author did a great job playing with the intensity of the area and concept. The narrative structure and tone felt intimate and raised the stakes, making it a grabbing and quick paced read from page one. The multiple different perspectives and mediums made for a real solid mystery.

I thoroughly enjoyed Heartwood. Educational, interesting, suspenseful and realistic. So descriptive, I felt I was on the dense trail, in the stinky bog, and on the drying moss. Amity Gaige has written an adventurous story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Valerie goes missing on the Appalachian Trail and the story unfolds in many directions from there. We see this story from three main points of view including Valerie the lost hiker, Beverly the warden organizing the searches to find her and Lena a lonely lost in her own way older woman turned armchair detective.

I love the way the story jumps around to all the different points of view. I also like that though this story is about Valerie being lost it’s not just that. We learn a lot about all of the characters lives, struggles, needs and wants. This is a slower burn different kind of mystery “thriller.” It’s beautifully descriptive and thoughtful. I think the middle lagged a bit and some of those pages could have been used to extend the character “wrap ups” which I think may have been my favorite parts. I also find it’s interesting while also heartbreaking that it was inspired by a real lost hiker.

All and all it was a different kind of story that was refreshing and worth a read. Thank you Simon Books, Amity Gaige, and NetGalley for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Valerie is missing from the Appalachian Trail with just 20 miles left to hike to her next rendezvous point. Bev, the senior game warden is frustrated that no matter how much information her team gathers, and how many searches are conducted, it appears that Valerie has just disappeared. Lena, living in a retirement home has always been a loner, buried in her studies and finally connecting with an Internet friend who provides her with the semblance of a social life. Each of these characters has their own backstory and author Gaige manages to weave them together into a page turning hunt for the missing hiker. As the days go by, chances of finding Valerie alive are greatly diminished. With thousands of calls to the tip line to sift through will Bev's team find and act upon the correct one in time?

As the possible reasons for Valerie's disappearance start to pile up, it is up to the reader to discern which of these possible scenarios could be the one which will lead to finding Valerie before it is too late. A bit slow to start but once the action begins, it is a fast read to the end.

I enjoyed ‘Heartwood’, it moves at a good pace with each chapter wanting the reader to find out more. All of the characters have a vital role to play in the quest to find Valerie ‘the sparrow’ Gillis who has got lost (or worse) walking the Appalachian Trail.
There are enough twists and turns to hold my interest and enough heart to the characters to keep me invested in each of them. I also came away feeling like I had learn a little bit about the trail and the states it meanders through!

This book was incredible. It was unexpectedly moving and beautiful. I connected with all the characters and was breathlessly rooting for Valarie and the team looking for her.

Valerie is a 42 year old nurse. She made it through working at the hospital through covid. After all the long hours she is burned out and ready for a change. She decides to hike the Appalachian trail. She meets people on the trail that treat her like family until an unlikely event happens that forces her off the trail and she ends up lost in the woods.

I was really impressed with the authors writing style and ability to turn this book into a compelling story. I loved it and can’t wait to read her next!

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.

I am a sucker for stories set in the North Woods, and this is one of the best. The characters were fully developed, and I was touched by how much they cared about finding the lost hiker. I read the whole thing in one day because I could not put it down.

I could not put this book down. I finished it in a day because I needed to know that Valerie Gillis would be found and survived. The author did not reveal the connection between Lena, many miles away in a nursing home, and Valerie until the ending of the story. At that point the story wrapped up quickly. The story ends well and personal conflicts are solved.

Thanks NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review. Overall this was good, the first half was more fast pace than the second but enjoyed it nonetheless.