Heartwood

I loved Gaige’s 2020 novel Sea Wife (included in that year’s SRG) and was excited to read more from her. When Heartwood begins, we know a search is underway for experienced 42-year-old hiker Valerie; she’s wandered off the Appalachian Trail and a widespread search is now underway. In rotating points of view, we learn where Valerie currently is and the details of her current predicament, the plan for coordinating scores of volunteers to comb the woods to find her, the reasons the authorities consider her ex-husband to be a suspect, and why a seemingly unconnected woman at a nearby retirement community may hold the key to Valerie’s survival. I raced through this gripping tale of survival, isolation, and the deep human need for connection. I think it’s fair to say that the Maine woods are a character in their own right: they are vast, wild, and unforgiving.