A contemplative read about mother's and daughters and what happens when you feel loved and seen and heard. While the story itself is about a woman who is missing on the Appalachian Trail, it's really a story of how these women see themselves in the lives they lead and how they view their relationships with their mothers and how those relationships seemed to color a lot of the way they moved through the world. And as deep as that may sound (or not), it was not as profound as I thought it would be...interestingly enough. I enjoyed it and found the ending to be satisfying, but I think I was hoping for some sort of deep truth, and that didn't happen for me. Instead what I got was a solid read that was entertaining and thoughtful.
*Comes out April 1st, 2025*
BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4hHNDno
SYNOPSIS:
In the heart of the Maine woods, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker goes missing. She is forty-two-year-old Valerie Gillis, who has vanished 200 miles from her final destination. Alone in the wilderness, Valerie pours her thoughts into fractured, poetic letters to her mother as she battles the elements and struggles to keep hoping.
At the heart of the investigation is Beverly, the determined Maine State Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie, who leads the search on the ground. Meanwhile, Lena, a seventy-six-year-old birdwatcher in a Connecticut retirement community, becomes an unexpected armchair detective. Roving between these compelling narratives, a puzzle emerges, intensifying the frantic search, as Valerie’s disappearance may not be accidental.
Heartwood is a “gem of a thousand facets—suspenseful, transporting, tender, and ultimately soul-mending,” (Megan Majumdar, New York Times bestselling author of A Burning) that tells the story of a lost hiker’s odyssey and is a moving rendering of each character’s interior journey. The mystery inspires larger questions about the many ways in which we get lost, and how we are found. At its core, Heartwood is a redemptive novel, written with both enormous literary ambition and love.
Heartwood weaves a poignant tale of loss and self-discovery, capturing the complexities of family and the search for meaning. While it may not reach profound depths, its thoughtful narrative and satisfying ending make it a rewarding read.
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