Sunday Books & Culture - Novel
Amity Giage’s suspenseful, complex narrative “Heartwood.”
Sunday Books & Culture is edited by Vanessa Sekinger
HEARTWOOD
by Amity Gaige
Published by Simon & Schuster (April 1, 2025)
Hardcover $25.68
Audiobook $14.95
Reviewed by Penny A Parrish
I’ve been to a few different areas in Maine. People often think of the coastline, but most of the state is forest. The trees are thick and dense, and straying from a path could be deadly, as 42-year-old Valerie Gillis finds out in this compelling novel.
Valerie is walking the Appalachian Trail. She is doing it in segments, and her husband meets her frequently, so she can spend nights in a motel and take a shower. But one night, she doesn’t show up. Authorities are alerted, but this is a common occurrence, and everyone hopes the missing hiker will find the trail again. But she doesn’t. She has simply disappeared.
Which brings in Maine State Game Warden, Lt. Beverly Miller. She has come up through the ranks over the decades, finally achieving the respect she deserves. Lt. Bev leads hundreds of searchers and volunteers trying to find Valerie. The timeline is simple:
“Ninety-two percent of the time, we find lost people within twelve hours of being notified. Ninety-seven percent of the time, we find lost people within twenty-four hours. The other 3 percent, we know those stories like scripture.”
Readers follow Valerie through letters she writes to her mother, page after page trying to keep her sanity as she slowly starves and fades away. Lt. Bev shares the frustration of searchers and her inability to separate herself from family issues.
Then there is Lena who lives in a retirement village. Lena is prickly, stuck in a wheelchair, but loves to forage in the grassy areas outside her room with help from fellow resident Warren. She also finds something akin to joy in an online friend who shares her interests.
Through these three women, readers learn about the difficulties often faced by mothers and daughters, between siblings, and with partners in friendship or marriage. No one has a simple uncomplicated life. But all three are instruments in saving the life of one lost hiker.
This is a compelling read, with vivid characters and a creative plot. As a “Read With Jenna” pick, the copies at CRRL (Central Rappahannock Regional Library) have a long waiting list. When I finish typing, I’ll return mine (due today). It’s worth the wait.
Penny A Parrish is a local writer and photographer. Visit her website to view pictures.
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