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Cover of Heartwood

Heartwood

by Amity Gaige

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"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."--Provided by publisher.

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"Heartwood is a perfect thriller for people who don’t like thrillers (🙋‍♀). A nurse nicknamed Sparrow who is trying to move past the trauma of working during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic disappears while hiking the Appalachian Trail. The narration alternates among three women: a state game warden leading the search, a lonely retiree who becomes very invested and the missing woman herself, whose plight is told via the journal that keeps her going while lost. Heartwood is equal parts gripping and moving, filled with empathy and hope – not just for Sparrow’s safe return but for human connection overall."
NPR Books We Love — 2025 · apps.npr.org
"I had started reading Amity Gaige's absolutely riveting new novel, "Heartwood," and I literally could not put it down."
By the Book: Susan Choi Flashlight · nytimes.com