Review by april_reads - Heartwood

april_reads 's review for:

Heartwood by Amity Gaige

3.75

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad slow-paced

While reading Heartwood, I kept thinking, Are we sure this isn’t based on a true story? There’s a real-life case that feels eerily similar—but it happened years after this book was written, which only makes the parallels more haunting.

The story follows a woman who goes missing while hiking in the woods, and the search effort that unfolds around her. The narrative shifts between the woman herself, the people trying to find her, and an older woman who takes a quiet but intense interest in the case. The result is a layered, emotional story about survival, connection, and the way one person’s disappearance can echo through an entire community.

This isn’t a fast-paced thriller, but it’s deeply absorbing. The multiple perspectives add richness and emotional weight, and the writing is beautifully atmospheric. If you’re drawn to stories about missing persons, quiet resilience, and the tangled nature of human connection, Heartwood is definitely worth reading.

Content Warnings