Will I love Heartwood?

What a find for this hiker. I happened upon this book by chance, and I'm so glad I did. It's a quick read in the very best way. The pages practically turn themselves, but the story never feels thin. The style is engaging and keeps the pace brisk and the story feeling immediate and true. Every character is real and raw, the kind of people you can't stop thinking about after you've closed the book. Beautiful.

A terrific slow-burn thriller that is equal parts drama and poetry. It's an exciting, edge-of-seat read but also a wise, beautifully written book. In other words, my favorite kind of book.

The story revolves around Valerie Gillis, a nurse who goes missing in Maine on the last leg of hiking the 14-state beast known as the the Appalachian Trail. The story is told from multiple perspectives inlcuding "verbatim" interviews, Valerie's diary entries and letters to her mother, the game wardens and officials looking for Valerie, and a wonderful, eccentric retired scientist who thinks she may have some light to… show more.

Using a mystery/thriller paradigm, this book explores the interconnectedness of all lives and how we impact the destinies of one another.