Heartwood

De: Amity Gaige

Narrado por: Justine Lupe, Alma Cuervo, Rebecca Lowman, Ali Andre Ali, Cary Hite, Helen Laser

“A riveting wilderness suspense novel by a novelist at the height of her powers” (Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Candy House), Heartwood takes you on a gripping journey as a search and rescue team race against time when an experienced hiker mysteriously disappears on the Appalachian Trail in Maine.

In the heart of the Maine woods, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker goes missing. She is forty-two-year-old Valerie Gillis, who has vanished 200 miles from her final destination. Alone in the wilderness, Valerie pours her thoughts into fractured, poetic letters to her mother as she battles the elements and struggles to keep hoping.

At the heart of the investigation is Beverly, the determined Maine State Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie, who leads the search on the ground. Meanwhile, Lena, a seventy-six-year-old birdwatcher in a Connecticut retirement community, becomes an unexpected armchair detective. Roving between these compelling narratives, a puzzle emerges, intensifying the frantic search, as Valerie’s disappearance may not be accidental.

Heartwood is a “gem of a thousand facets—suspenseful, transporting, tender, and ultimately soul-mending,” (Megan Majumdar, New York Times bestselling author of A Burning) that tells the story of a lost hiker’s odyssey and is a moving rendering of each character’s interior journey. The mystery inspires larger questions about the many ways in which we get lost, and how we are found. At its core, Heartwood is a redemptive novel, written with both enormous literary ambition and love.

©2025 Amity Gaige (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio

Lost on th Appalachian Trail

I liked that there were many important characters read by different voices. The different personalities were well defined. The story kept my attention throughout.

Enjoyed the characters.

I really enjoyed the story and narration, Well written with good and interesting character development.

The optimism of finding a lost hiker

Relatable characters, believable storyline, kept me guessing until the end. I’m a RN, hiker and love the outdoors.

Hard to put down

The story held my attention for the few days it took to read, I knew there were twists to come but couldn’t predict them. Great read!

The writing style was beautiful

Loved the writing about plants , birds and all nature . The readers voice was beautiful and calming .

Great listen

I enjoyed the story, characters and the reading. It was different than my usual book, but I will search out more by this author.

Just ok

From the sample, this seemed like it was going to be a really interesting story! I loved the narration of the lost woman. It’s what drew me in…her voice and her talking about her mother. The narration of Lt. Bev was flat, monotone, and downright depressing. I found the book to go steadily downhill after about 1/3 of the way in. And talk about an anticlimactic ending….I wish I had my credit back.

The suspense

The ending didn't do it for me! If I have to reread it three times at the end it loses a star!

A Gem

A richly crafted gem that is not only about the mystery of a disappearance on the Appalachian trail, but about the choices in life that lead to this point in time. Highly recommended.

Lost A.T. Hiker

We learn much about the relationships of mothers and daughters as we follow the travails of a woman who loses her way on the Appalachian Trail.