I flew through this book. Carried away in the suspense of if Sparrow would be rescued before the end, the pages flew by.
Told from multiple viewpoints, the story gives us a chance to see the forest from Valerie’s Journal entries/.
The only part of the story I felt slowed things down was Lena’s. It felt like much of her storyline could have been condensed.
Overall a 3.5/5 stars for me.
I received an ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

Looking for the next full cast audio experience to fully draw you in? Look no more - pick up Heartwood! This is the story of Valerie who has gone missing in Maine while attempting to hike the Appalachian Trail.

The story is told from many perspectives and the full cast audio really added a lot to the reading experience - felt like listening to a show.

I would also offer a nonfiction pairing - found myself thinking about Trail of the Lost by Andrea Lankford a lot as I read.

Thank you to Simon for the free ebook.

“All emotions start out as love. Later, that love is worked on by the forces of luck and suffering.
Hate is just soured love.
Fear is wounded love.
Longing is homeless love.
Love, not pain, is the mother. Love is the taproot.”

4.5 stars! Wow. I do not know what I was expecting when I picked this book up but I LOVED the cover so I hoped it would be great. And it was, it was fantastic! This book is part thriller, part mystery, and very atmospheric with short chapters and a plot that keeps you not only guessing but flipping those pages just dying to know what happened to Valerie.

The descriptions of the Maine portion of the Appalachian Trail gave me goosebumps. I am not a hiking gal so the pull and desire to walk 2,000 miles through the woods escapes me. But I was IN these woods with both Valerie and the search and rescue team. I was so stressed feeling like I was searching right along with them. I devoured this story told from multiple pov.

If you like atmospheric reads then add this to your tbr now! You won’t regret it. I can absolutely see why this is a Read With Jenna pick.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, and the author for the complimentary ARC.

Alone and way off course, Appalachian Trail hiker Valerie “Sparrow” Gillis begins writing therapeutic letters to her mother in her journal, convinced she is facing her final days. Worn out and emotionally raw from her work as a nurse during the Covid pandemic, Sparrow isn’t exactly sure what she’s searching for on the trail—only that she has to do this.

Meanwhile, Beverly, one of the few female State Game Wardens, feels time slipping away. Despite countless hours and thousands of acres combed, there’s still no sign of the missing hiker. With her own mother dying miles away, Beverly delays her personal life in a desperate hope to find Sparrow and bring her home.
In a retirement community several states away, Lena watches life unfold with a mix of bitterness and resolve. Estranged from her daughter and disconnected from her peers, she’s anything but the average resident. A novice forager and avid online sleuth, Lena becomes fascinated by the story of the missing hiker, diving into her amateur investigation with fervor.

Each woman—a lover of nature and someone wrestling with fractured relationships—is on a deeply personal journey. Their stories, told through multiple points of view, provide a layered exploration of grief, redemption, and the quiet resilience needed to keep going.

Though I appreciated all three perspectives, I found it more difficult to connect with Lena. That might be intentional; the author portrays her as a neurodivergent character who struggles with connection in all aspects of her life. Still, the lyrical prose and gripping suspense kept the pages turning, and readers will be held breathless until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and of course the author Amity Gaige for the advanced copy of the book. Heartwood is out now. All opinions are my own.

The novel’s structure—incorporating journal entries, police interviews, and various points of view—adds depth and complexity to the storytelling. While the pacing is slow, requiring patience, the character development and atmospheric prose reward the reader’s investment.

Gaige delves into the complexities of family dynamics and mental health, portraying the psychological toll of isolation and the human capacity for hope amidst despair. The characters’ personal struggles and relationships are explored with nuance, offering a reflection on the ways we connect and cope.

Heartwood is a compelling read for those who appreciate character-driven narratives that explore the depths of human connection and endurance.

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
I saw so many rave reviews for this book, but by the end I was left wondering if I’d read the same story as everyone else. In simple terms, it was a bit of a snooze fest for me. I kept waiting for a big twist that either never came or I somehow missed. There was just so much going on, with the letters, the interviews, the countless characters and all that unnecessary backstory, and I couldn’t connect with anyone. Either I overlooked something at the end or it was simply underwhelming. I wanted more mystery and suspense but didn’t get any. Take my review with a grain of salt because it totally can be a me thing with this one!

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
🥾Wilderness survival
🔎Search for lost hiker
💚Human resilience
🔥Slow burn
💕Mother-Daughter relationships
🔀Intertwined characters
📝Written reflections and interviews
🔄Dual timelines
🗣️Multiple POV

⚠️ 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis.

🥾𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾🥾
⭐️⭐️💫

💕Q U O T E : “𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝒶𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒. 𝐿𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇, 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓀𝑒𝒹 𝑜𝓃 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝒸𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓁𝓊𝒸𝓀 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝓊𝒻𝒻𝑒𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔. 𝐻𝒶𝓉𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝓈𝑜𝓊𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒. 𝐹𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝒾𝓈 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒. 𝐿𝑜𝓃𝑔𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓈 𝒽𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓁𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒.”

This book was a complete surprise. Told by multiple POVs, Heartwood focuses on Valerie, a hiker who went missing on the Appalachian Trail, Beverly Miller, the Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie, and Lena, an elderly woman who is determined to help find Valerie from her retirement community. Valerie must survive the elements and the surprises of the wilderness in the hopes that someone will find her.

I was captivated by this story. Valerie's journey on the Appalachian trail is told through interviews with family and friends and Valerie's POV through letters to her mother. I loved her journey and the mystery of why she went missing from the trail. It was also fun to see how these three characters come together during the search for Valerie. As the story progresses, I was often left in suspense and had to continue reading, wondering if Valerie would survive the wilderness of not. Although the ending had me in tears, I could not think of a better conclusion for this story.

This is my favorite read so far for April, and I would highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy the suspense of the wilderness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to review Heartwood. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book caught my eye because it is about a woman hiker who goes missing on the Appalachian Trail. The story unfolds from several viewpoints. Valerie, the missing hiker herself; Beverly, the Maine State Game Warden, who is leading the search for Valerie; and Lena, a woman living in a senior community in Connecticut who, when she hears about the missing hiker, becomes a very determined armchair detective. While Valerie’s disappearance is at the heart of the story, we learn a lot about these three women and the relationships they have with their loved ones, and the people they work and live with. And then of course there is the diverse cast of characters who are the hikers who shared the Appalachian Trail with Valerie. Heartwood, while not a taut, suspenseful mystery, is an interesting read with an unusual twist. Although I found some of the characters unlikeable, it is the kind of book that I think book groups would enjoy. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Simon and Schuster for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Have you read this month’s @readwithjenna pick?
I highly recommend it! HEARTWOOD is a captivating literary mystery by debut author Amity Gaige that follows Valerie Gillis as she embarks on a journey to hike the Appalachian trail. Valerie’s disappearance in the Maine wilderness leads to a slow-building investigation, complicated connections, and the quiet unraveling of a life lived in survival mode.

Valerie’s time in the physical and metaphorical wilderness offers readers a glimpse into the life of a woman looking to reclaim herself. The story explores complicated mother-daughter relationships, grief and isolation, and the risks of taking the road less traveled.
Looking for your next audiobook? The full-cast audio production brought this mystery told from multiple perspectives to life.

READ THIS IF YOU:
✨ are interested in a fictional pairing to Cheryl Strayed’s Wild
🌲 love when a rich setting steals the show
🔍 enjoy character-driven mysteries with emotional depth

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: April 1, 2025

Mysterious disappearance. Set on the Appalachian Trail in Maine. Thriller, mystery. Hiking, survival. Our very fun armchair detective. Honestly I can see why Jenna picked it for her book club.

I admit that I approached this book with rather lukewarm expectations. I was not excited about reading about a woman disappearing in the woods, it freaks me out honestly. But i want my Netgalley score ratio high, so i decided to give it a try. And i have to admit, it was definitely worth it!
We follows the lives of three very different women, we meet Beverly, the Maine game warden, who coordinates the field research; Lena, a former teacher passionate about birdwatching who, improvises as an investigator; and then there’s Valerie, the missing woman, she is a nurse.
There is a tension, a lot of it. Come to think of it i'll suggest to book as a read for Mother's Day. It's interesting reading about the relationship between mothers and daughters is explored.
A sincere thank you to the publisher for the advance copy! The opinions expressed are all my own.

4.5 Stars

This book was truly beautifully written. It is an examination of human relationships, written through the lens of a tragedy and it was so lovely to read.

The book centers around a middle-aged woman hiker who goes missing while hiking the Appalachian trail, and the exhaustive search for her that ensues.

There was a great coordination of different points of view and different types of conversations happening, some letters, some emails and then some written prose. It flowed so well and kept me engaged in each person's part in the story.

I loved that everything comes into question in this book; Reliability of people offering perspective, expertise and ability of the search efforts and leadership, which relationships could be trusted vs tossed, and throughout it all, there is a woman coming to terms with her own mortality while clinging to her sheer will to survive.

There was a character perspective at the end that I was dying to hear just a little more about, but in the end it didn't dissuade my love for the book. Highly recommend.

Being from MA with family in Leominster it was great to read a book that takes place there and in Maine. When I was young I was an avid hiker but did not have the guts to do the AT. Good mystery and suspense. Really felt for Valerie and wanted her to be found. Towards the end we get some character development of some of the characters that seemed like extra fluff as I did not care at that point. Just wanted to know what happened to Valerie.

I zipped right through this book and will recommend it to everyone. If you like mysteries, survival stories and the AT, this book is for you. I'm checking out her older novels next. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Valerie Gillis has been hiking the Appalachian trail for three months. She’s finally arrived in Maine, which consists of the longest wilderness section of the AT, when she goes missing.

Lt. Beverly is now responsible for trying to find Valerie and direct all search and rescue efforts. After days and days of searching, and coming up short, Lt. Beverly isn’t sure what to do next. She’s interviewed many people who either hiked with or saw Valerie, spoke with family members, followed up on many tips, and still no luck, but she’s not ready to give up.

This book is told through the perspective of several different characters. Their stories are told through letters, police interviews, and their own personal accounts of the Valerie Gillis search. I liked how the characters’ stories came together, and the connections between them all. Overall, I enjoyed this book.

A tender story about mothers an daughters and the beauty and danger of nature. I highly recommend this book.

This book had such a great sense of place on the Appalachian Trail. I have read a number of books that take place on this trail and Heartwood did a great job. I loved the variety of POV's in the story telling and the culmination on how it ended. The underlying concern and worry for Valerie who we assume is hopefully only lost on the trail was real.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the gifted e-ARC.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for my copy of HEARTWOOD.

I loved this one! The atmosphere was great, the characters were so well developed and the mystery hooked me in. I could definitely see this becoming a movie or series and it would be a big hit. I'm super excited to see where this one goes. I highly recommend this book!

Opens with what I will call surprisingly beautiful writing - not what I expecte based on the straightforward mystery synopsis. The story does feel a little cryptic at first, with a good dose of mystery introduced from the beginning. As you continue, there’s a good deal of twists and turns along the way that really keep the story moving.

This book tells the story of a hiker named Valerie Gillis aka as “Sparrow” who is lost in the woods and those who are trying to find her.

There are three female POVs explored - Valerie, the missing hiker,
These character’s different voices come through really clearly from the beginning and continue to draw you into their worlds and minds throughout the story. Valerie’s voice is explored through letters to her mother which adds a depth and uniqueness to how her character is approached. I also appreciated the deep emotion explored around Valerie’s role as a nurse during the Covid pandemic. Those stories need told and re-told.

I really enjoyed and appreciated the interviews, letters and diary entries interwoven through the book.

I grew up right off the Appalachian Trail where the setting of our story takes place. At times when they talk about the Pennsylvania part of the trail, I felt I could see it! Even better, the way the wildness of the woods in Maine is described really adds to the atmosphere of the story.

This captivating story follows a woman’s harrowing journey on the Appalachian Trail, where she finds herself lost and uncertain of her fate. The plot masterfully weaves suspense, keeping me intrigued about the circumstances leading to her predicament and the possibility of her eventual rescue. The female investigator spearheading the search and the older woman following the story from her room at a nursing home added an intriguing layer of complexity to the narrative.