A father and daughter living in the remote Appalachian mountains must reckon with the ghosts of their past in Kimi Cunningham Grant's These Silent Woods, a mesmerizing novel of suspense.
No electricity, no family, no connection to the outside world.
For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. And that's exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he's got a lot to hide. Finch has been raised on the books filling the cabin's shelves and the beautiful but brutal code of life in the wilderness. But she's starting to push back against the sheltered life Cooper has created for her-and he's still haunted by the painful truth of what it took to get them there.
The only people who know they exist are a mysterious local hermit named Scotland, and Cooper's old friend, Jake, who visits each winter to bring them food and supplies. But this year, Jake doesn't show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Suddenly, the boundaries of their safe haven have blurred-and when a stranger wanders into their woods, Finch's growing obsession with her could put them all in danger. After a shocking disappearance threatens to upend the only life Finch has ever known, Cooper is forced to decide whether to keep hiding-or finally face the sins of his past.
Vividly atmospheric and masterfully tense, These Silent Woods is a poignant story of survival, sacrifice, and how far a father will go when faced with losing it all.
I listened to this on audio and I liked it but it wasn't what I was expecting. I went in to this thinking it was a mystery/thriller but I definitely don't consider it to be that. I would almost consider it to be literary fiction which usually isn't my cup of tea.
I liked the survival aspect but it also didn't focus much about that either. By and large this is a book about a father daughter relationship. As a parent I did enjoy that aspect of this novel but if you are going into this book expecting a thriller I think you will be let down.
The story was told is such a way that you got a little bit of backstory at a time and I really liked how that was done. Slowly you as the reader are learning why Cooper and his daughter are living in the woods in a cabin away from civilization.
I liked reading about Finch especially. Growing up for 8 years off the grid is all she knows and the author does a great job of making it realistic.
I found myself tearing up at the end of this book which typically doesn't happen. So while I was expecting a mystery/thriller and didn't get that I still really enjoyed and was caught up in the story. I would definitely read other books by this author.
