Heartwood

An unforgettable treatJANICE HALLETT

Beautifully written . . . moving and suspensefulTIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

Gripping . . . each strand adds tension and dramaGOOD HOUSEKEEPING

One of my favourite recent readsBARBARA KINGSOLVER, GUARDIAN

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 centre of the investigation is Beverly, the determined Maine State Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie. While Beverly is searching, Lena, a seventy-six-year-old birdwatcher in a retirement community, becomes an unexpected armchair detective. Roving between these compelling narratives, a puzzle emerges, intensifying the frantic search, as Valeries disappearance may not be accidental.

Fast-paced and full of grace . . . a memorable meditation on the forms of careSARAH MOSS

A powerful story of being lost in the wildernessSAINSBURYS MAGAZINE

An absolute must-readELIN HILDEBRAND