This was such a beautifully written book. It had me on the edge of my seat but also was very emotional. The story was woven so beautifully around these three women. This book will be living in my head for awhile.

I could not put 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗪𝗢𝗢𝗗 down. If this book isn't already on your TBR, it needs to be.

Gaige's literary mystery is set in Maine where a woman hiking the Appalachian Trail goes missing, and it's impossible not to feel immersed in this story. The way the author describes the woods and portrays life on the trail is so vivid, you feel like you're there, and the desperate search for the hiker is an adrenaline rush and an emotional rollercoaster. But this isn't just a thriller or a story of survival - it's also about complex mother/daughter relationships and how easy it can be to find yourself lost, both literally and figuratively.

I loved so many of the characters in this book, especially Bev the warden running the search, but I was especially touched by the letters Valerie, the missing hiker, writes to her mother while hoping to be rescued.

"𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘢𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘏𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦."

As a mother juggling a lot at the moment, those words resonated. I can only hope my children feel the same.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the copy to review.

I read this book as I was listening to a Maine true crime podcast, so it didn’t take me long to get into that atmosphere of the Appalachian Trail. Valerie Gillis was like many hiker that got lost that I listened about. She did not show up where she was supposed to and alarm bells started to ring

She was experienced all right; she knew that spending time on this trail when she would be out of supplies would be deadly. But she was not at her meeting point as she promised to her husband. Beverly was tasked to find Valerie. She was to set up the search and rescue, and make sure that Valerie was brought back before it was too late. On the other hand, birdwatcher Lena thought Valerie could be her estranged daughter, so she rolled up her sleeves too

My 4 stars are for the storytelling, weaving letters and stories together in a curious way. I thought the story was of a common occurrence with reaction to it was also as common as I thought it would be. I appreciated Valerie and Beverly’s back stories taking part in the story too; however, I had bit of hard time tying Lena into all of this other than an older woman involving herself with the story out of a hope

I really enjoyed this book. It's a slow burn book as we follow a woman lost in the Appalachian mountains, the female warden searching for her, and an older woman who thinks she might be able to help. I was invested in this story and had to know what happened. It's hard to put down, too!

I gulped down "Heartwood," a new thriller by Amity Gaige, in just a few days. The story follows the search for a nurse who goes missing while hiking the Appalachian Trail. But the book is much more than an urgent sweep through the Maine woods. Gaige gives us the story from multiple vantage points, flipping from the lost hiker herself to a friend she made on the trail and from the woman heading up the search to persnickety old lady following the story online. Lyrical passages in which the prose lingers on the leaves of a tree take nothing away from the sections in which search-and-rescue teams comb the woods on foot and from the air. Gaige keeps the narrative moving along at a good pace while somehow giving the reader time to get to know Valerie and her reasons for embarking on this strenuous hike as well as Bev and her reasons for joining the Maine Warden Service. Highly recommended.

Heartwood, by Amity Gaige, follows the story of Valerie, a nurse, who goes missing while hiking the Appalachian Trail in Maine. I gained insight into Valerie's experiences through the letters she wrote to her mother throughout her ordeal. This ritual of writing gave her solace as she endured hunger and exhaustion, often overwhelmed by her loneliness and on the cusp of breaking down and giving up. This mystery and quasi-suspense novel is told from different perspectives. That of her husband (although not in depth) expecting to meet her at their designated rendevous spot. Beverly, the Game Warden leading the search, and a recluse bird watcher, Lena, from Connecticut. I didn't find this novel to read like other mysteries, probably because I didn't think the author created enough mystery or suspense about what happened to Valerie, whether she would be found, and if so, dead or alive. At times, I found the story to drag on, which may have been intentional, as a day lost in the woods might feel like days. I enjoyed the book, but I would have liked the characters and the themes of motherhood, love, loss, and resilience to have been better developed. I did enjoy learning some interesting facts about the Appalachian Trail.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of Heartwood.

As someone who has done some hiking on the Appalachian Trail and would love to one day hike all of the AT. So I was drawn to this book. It was interesting but didn't love the similarities to the 2013 Geraldine Largay missing hiker in Maine. I liked the aspect of the search from Beverly and I didn't want to stop listening but I didn't love how this book turned out.

The hiking descriptions and the missing hiker aspect I really enjoyed.

The idea for this and setting were what interested me. But in the end I was left feeling disappointed. The characters were interesting but the plot too predictable to be engaging. Some sections of the story felt too edited or cut off and others felt like long slogs. The ending was not satisfying.

Heartwood is a gripping story of a search and rescue team racing against time to find an experienced hiker who goes missing on the Appalachian Trail in Maine. As the investigation unfolds, the story follows the perspectives of the missing hiker, the determined Game Warden leading the search, and an armchair detective who becomes involved in the case. The mystery deepens as it becomes clear that the hiker's disappearance may not be accidental.

What a captivating mystery! Despite its slow burn, I found myself completely engrossed - a rare occurrence for me with slow burn reads. Having visited Maine multiple times, I loved being able to visualize the locations mentioned in the story. It truly enhanced the overall experience.

The novel follows three different points of view: Valerie, Lt. Bev, and Lena. Their perspectives intertwine and eventually converge, leading to a satisfying outcome. Lena's role in the story is particularly intriguing, as she holds crucial information yet remains a mystery to those around her. The character development is gradual but keeps the plot moving forward.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the story was based on actual events, adding an extra layer of depth. The resolution was heartening, although I couldn't help but wonder about Gerry's fate. It made me ponder my own survival skills in a similar situation. The book offers valuable tips on navigation and survival, making it both informative and gripping.

Overall, the story is suspenseful, intriguing, and ultimately heartwarming. I can only imagine the heightened emotions that an audiobook version would bring. I highly recommend adding this book to your summer reading list - it's a real page-turner!

Thank you, Simon & Schuster, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This novel revolves a woman named Valerie who goes missing on the Appalachian trail in Maine. It’s told from a variety of perspectives - Valerie herself; Bev, the warden leading the search; Lena, a wheelchair-bound woman in assisted living who becomes obsessed with the case online; transcripts of interviews, and more.

A terrific book that combines so much into its pages - it’s a literary mystery/thriller about what happened to Valerie and whether she’ll be rescued in time; a survival thriller; a nature book; a book about mothers and daughters and their complicated relationships; a book about finding and losing yourself figuratively not just literally. And the writing is just fabulous. I couldn’t put it down. And I can see why Read With Jenna chose this, as there is so much to discuss - it would make for a great book club book.

4.5 stars

Excellent! A woman goes missing on the Appalachian Trail in Maine. A female warden, Bev, sets out to find her, with the help of a host of volunteers. Then the plot twists start.

This novel had beautifully drawn characters and a plot line that almost qualified it as a thriller. As the search finds nothing, the reader gets to hear from the lost woman herself. Little by little (and with a detour through a half crazy resident of an assisted living facility), we start to figure out what happened to Sparrow, the lost AT hiker.

The author of this novel used a wide variety of "documents" to tell this story: telephone interview transcripts, journals, newspaper stories - along with good old fashioned narratives. These short bits of information and varying viewpoints effectively told the story and whipped around the plot twists. Towards the end of the book, the author cut loose and let her gift of writing beautiful prose shine through.

Oh, and there was a lot deep reflection on mother/daughter relationships along the way.

Highly recommended for fans of contemporary literary fiction and for books clubs.

I loved this book and was surprised just how much I did. Told from different perspectives, this involves the disappearance of a hiker. Is she dead, just missing or leave on her own? You also get the nature writing, learn of the rangers who take care of it. I was sucked into the story.

4.5 ⭐️

I had high expectations for this book (Read with Jenna picks are some of my faves), and it did not disappoint! From the first chapter, I was pulled deep into the story, with its atmospheric setting, intriguing characters, and propulsive mystery.

The story follows 42-year-old Valerie, who has gone missing while hiking the Appalachian Trail. We learn about her journey through letters she writes to her mother while lost. The story is also told from the POVs of Beverly, the Maine State Game Warden leading the investigation into Valerie's disappearance, and Lena, a 76-year-old retiree who unexpectedly becomes an armchair detective. We also learn more about Valerie through various interviews, including fellow hikers.

I loved the alternating narratives and the mixed media format of this book. My heart was pounding as the search and rescue team was racing against the clock to find Valerie. As the pieces of the puzzle started falling into place, I was on the edge of my seat. I could not put this down and binged it in just a few sittings.

Gaige masterfully intertwines these narratives, delving deep into each character's psyche. Valerie's introspective letters to her mother reveal a woman grappling with guilt, love, and the desire for redemption. Beverly's chapters offer a gritty look into the challenges of search and rescue operations, while Lena's unexpected involvement adds a layer of intrigue and warmth.

Heartwood was fantastic read following the story of Valerie, a solo hiker on the Appalachian Trail. Valerie disappears and the story is told from multiple perspectives. The book reads in part like a thriller, but it has the beautiful writing and emotion I expect from literary fiction. There are themes of hope, self-discovery, and suspense. This would be a great book club read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

I loved this book! The interviews from other hikers and journal entries really added to the suspense of the story. This also had a strong sense of place which I love

Three main characters-all women!!
Valerie-a 42 year old nurse traumatized by covid who goes missing while hiking the Appalachia Trail.
Beverly-in charge of the search, single and dedicated to her hard -fought- for job, and Lena -far away living in a retirement community in Connecticut, whose role seems totally remote to the search until she ultimately provides the key clue.
We get multiple points of view throughout the read- about life, family problems, about being lost in the woods, hope , fear , and survival.
It is also a great insight into the life of a Maine game warden and all that the job entails.(most enjoyable part for me). A good read, a little slow at times, with the insights of the main characters( Val and Bev) the best.

Told from 3 points of view, this story of a missing hiker along the Appalachian Trail is a slow burn tale with a literary vibe. There’s Lieutenant Bev, the Maine Warden in charge of finding the hiker; Lena, a woman intrigued with wilderness who may provide the link they need; and Valerie, the missing hiker who was trying to find herself along the AT when others thought she couldn’t do it. It was just okay for me…although I wanted to love it. I think the emotional/literary/introspective vibe was too much of a sleeper for me.

A woman goes missing in Maine while hiking the Appalachian Trail. The book alternates between the searchers, the woman's journal, and other related characters keeping us on the edge of our seat to find out how it all comes together and if the woman will be found in time. Well done!

I had a hard time getting into this book. I was worried for Valerie and wanted to know what happened to her and interested in both Beverly and Lena's stories as well, but I wasn't grabbed by any of it.