Heartwood by Amity Gaige {A Book Review}

This post contains affiliate links. Heartwood by Amity Gaige is not in my normal genre of reading, so I was surprised when I could not put this book down.

About Heartwood by Amity Gaige

Valerie Gillis is a 42-year-old inexperienced hiker who embarks on the adventure of a lifetime–hiking the entire Appalachian Trail–alone. Her husband, Gregory, follows along, meeting with her every few days to provide supplies. So, when she doesn’t show up, he files a missing person report.

Beverly, a Maine state game warden, leads the search for Valerie. She has years of experience in finding people lost in the woods, and she knows that if they don’t find Valerie within the first few days, the odds of finding her alive fade. She sends an army of volunteers out to look while some of her employees interview Valerie’s husband and a man, Santo, who befriended her on the trail. Could either of these men be responsible for her disappearance?

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, retiree Lena, a person who loves nature and bird watching, hears of Valerie’s plight. Lena is a loner living in a retirement community, and she can’t quit thinking about Valerie because Valerie reminds her of her daughter. Lena spends hours poring over Valerie’s case, even staying up all night to do so. Can she be of use in this case?

Meanwhile, the reader also slowly learns what is happening to Valerie through the letters she writes to her mother while she’s lost. She wants these messages to reach her mother if she dies, so she will know what happened.

But can they find Valerie before it’s too late?

My Thoughts on the Book

I found this book to be a great page turner. I was curious how the case would turn out. Would Valerie be found on time? How did she end up so far off the trail?

I also loved the many story lines about mothers and daughters–Beverly and her mother, Valerie and hers, and Lena and her daughter. The bond between mothers and daughters is so strong, even when it’s dysfunctional or disappointing.

I give Heartwood by Amity Gaige 5 out of 5 stars on the Mom’s Plans scale.