As a reader, I usually think the book is better when it's adapted into a movie. However, with Amity Gaige's *Heartwood*, I honestly think the movie would probably be a significant improvement. If I'm being blunt, I was pretty bored throughout the whole story, and I was just waiting for the missing hiker to be found! The story centers around three main characters: Valerie, the missing hiker; Lt. Bev, the warden in charge of the search party for Valerie in the woods; and Lena, a disabled elderly l...

The Appalachian Trail stretches for 2200 miles across the Eastern U.S. Hiking it can take anywhere from 5 to 7 months.It's a hiker’s dream, until it becomes a hiker's nightmare: a hiker has gone missing. Valerie Gillis, a nurse known on the trail as Sparrow, decided to tackle this epic journey after burning out during the COVID pandemic. Now, she's been missing for days, and a search team is mobilized. Did she wander off the trail, or is something more sinister at play?As the search intensifies,...

"Sometimes, in your lap, I would press my hand against your chest so that I could feel the center of you—your heartwood, your innermost substance, like the core of a tree that keeps it standing." ~ Amity Gaige, Heartwood Heartwood is a powerful exploration of the resilience of the human spirit, centered around the frantic search for Valerie Gillis, an experienced hiker who vanishes on the Appalachian Trail in the Maine woods, just 200 miles shy of her destination. Known as Sparrow on the tra...

Nicely done Simone & Schuster audio!Amity Gaige's *Heartwood* immediately grabbed my attention because it tells the fictional story of a 42-year-old hiker who goes missing on the Appalachian Trail. Valerie Gillis had been hiking for three months when she mysteriously disappears in Maine. I spend my summers in a tiny New Hampshire town right on the trail, and we see hikers passing through all the time. I've always been fascinated by people who take months out of their lives to tackle a journe...

Lately, it feels like EVERYONE is writing a story about someone lost in the woods, right?! Or is it just me? I just couldn’t get into this one. I was bored stiff. It felt like Cast Away, but set in the woods, and with moths instead of a volleyball. But, like, with *really* slow pacing.Guess I'll go back to listening to the Karen Read trial. ****I've been feeling a bit blah lately... a little unsettled, a little overwhelmed lol, and just generally blah. I've got a reread planned for later this we...

Rounding up to 4 stars.Great on audio!This book had all the makings of a 5-star read, but it fell flat for me in several places. The writing was impeccable, and the audio narration was very enjoyable. But the Lena chapters just didn't work. They felt distracting and didn’t add enough to the story for me, especially considering how much time we spent with Lena. Also, the ending felt really underwhelming. I'm not sure if we just needed 100 more pages of development throughout *Heartwood* by Amity ...

Heartwood is a genre-bending, character-driven mystery that delves into our connection with nature, the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship, the power of friendship, and the journey of self-discovery.I was completely drawn in by all the characters and loved experiencing the story through their eyes. Lena, without a doubt, shone as the star of this narrative and became my absolute favorite. I also learned so much about hiking, particularly the Appalachian Trail – its incredible lengt...

Amity Gaige's *Heartwood* centers on the disappearance of 42-year-old Valerie Gillis, right as she's about to finish hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, but honestly, it's so much more than just a mystery.The story is told from several points of view and cleverly incorporates mixed media elements.At first, I wasn't sure how all the perspectives would come together, but Gaige does a fantastic job with the pacing and reveals. I was equally invested in each character's story, which is rare for me,...

A Grounded Sparrow"Heartwood" tells the story of the search for Valerie Gillis, a 42-year-old hiker known as "Sparrow," who vanishes while navigating the challenging Appalachian Trail. In charge of conducting the search is Beverly, a Maine State Game Warden. A third key player is Lena, a seventy-six-year-old retirement home resident who connects strongly with the missing woman. This trinity of women provides the framework of Amity Gaige's "Heartwood".Valerie, a nurse, found herself drained and d...

Amity Gaige's *Heartwood* is a slow-burn, multi-POV mystery and suspense novel that kicks off with the disappearance of 42-year-old Valerie Gillis near the Appalachian Trail. Her husband, expecting to meet her at their designated spot, grows increasingly anxious when she doesn't show.We get glimpses into Valerie’s harrowing ordeal through letters she's writing to her mother while lost in the wilderness—alone, hungry, exhausted, and close to the breaking point. We also hear from Lieutenant Beverl...