Heartwood by Amity Gaige
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Heartwood focuses on the story of the disappearance of 42-year old, Valerie Gillis, just as she was close to completing her journey hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, but it’s honestly so much more than that.
This story features a few different perspectives, as well as cleverly-incorporated mixed media elements.
Initially, I wasn’t sure how all of the perspectives were going to ultimately blend together, but Gaige did an incredible job with her pacing and reveals. I found myself equally invested in each perspective, which is rare, and enjoyed how they eventually merged.
The suspense was great, the inclusion of nature was beautiful, and the exploration of the personal journeys was top notch. I felt so immersed.
My recommendation would go into this knowing as little as possible. I feel like it’s one of those stories best served if you just experience it exactly as the author wants you to. I feel like, though this story had its intense moments, and moments when I feared for particular characters, I was left with such an overriding feeling of hope.
It was really quite lovely. A great reading experience.
I did feel an extra special connection with it as it is set in my home state, and in areas where I have had the pleasure of spending a lot of time, including on the trails.
I think Gaige did a great job with the portrayal of the Maine State Game Wardens, having known a few of them in my own life. I think that’s such an amazing profession to feature in a novel like this. I appreciated that aspect.
Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m so happy that I made time for this book.
If you love stories of survival, hiking stories or stories that explore nature, both human and the natural world, I highly recommend picking this up!