Summary of Amity Gaige's Heartwood

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Amity Gaige’s novel Heartwood (2025) weaves together the tale of a hiker’s disappearance in the Maine woods with the deeply personal journeys of those touched by her vanishing. Valerie, a nurse seeking self-discovery on the Appalachian Trail, becomes stranded and writes raw letters to her mother while fighting to survive. A search begins, led by Lieutenant Beverly Miller, who’s grappling with complex family dynamics. Lena, a sharp-witted 76-year-old in a Connecticut retirement home, becomes fixated on Valerie’s disappearance due to the parallels with her own estranged daughter. Lena’s online interactions with a mysterious friend lead her down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, ultimately uncovering a key clue. Heartwood creates a rich tapestry of human experience against the backdrop of the unforgiving wilderness.