THESE SILENT WOODS by Kimi Cunningham Grant

 

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.

MY THOUGHTS

This was such a good book. Very tender and heartwarming. I did not think it was at all a thriller. A bit of a tense in some parts book but not a thriller. It has some mystery to it but I would not even call it a mystery. It was just a very good general fiction book about a father and daughter. One that may stick with you. Touch your heart. Make you weep a bit.

THE THING ABOUT GRACE IS THAT YOU DON'T DESERVE IT. YOU CAN'T EVEN EARN IT. YOU CAN ONLY ACCEPT IT. OR NOT.

What this man, Cooper does to keep his daughter with him is truly living off the land. He will do anything for her. After losing her mother, who he loved with all his heart, he could not let anyone take Finch. He could not lose her too. She's just a baby and his whole life. He's suffered enough. From serving in the military to losing the love of his life he's had enough loss. He will not sit by and watch as they take away his baby girl. 

The cabin that Cooper and Finch live it belongs to his friend, Jake, who stops by once a year with supplies to last them through the winter. This is where Cooper moved to protect his daughter. To make sure she was taken care of and loved. Did he make a mistake? Should he have let them take her? Raise her? I don't think so at all. I think he was the best dad every. So does Finch. 

There are several characters in this story, Cooper and Finch of course. Jake the neighbor Scotland and then Jake's sister, Marie. There is a tragedy that makes things difficult for Cooper to stay. There are circumstances that are out of his control. Things happen sometimes and it can turn your world upside down. Make things that were good not so good. Then you find out who your true friend is. This is where you will truly love Scotland. Also where you will cry the hardest. I didn't shed one tear reading this book until the last three chapters. Then I fell apart. My heart ached for Cooper and Finch. And Scotland. 

This book has some beautiful scenery and is well written, though in parts I thought it may have been a bit to something. Not sure what the word is. The telling was a bit too  detailed. Like describing each step from the car to the front porch. That lost this book one star from me. But it's still so good. So worth it. There are a few parts that will make you laugh and maybe even hold your breath. You will fall in love with Cooper and Finch. You will root for them to be together. You will hate the "Judges". I did anyway.

Great book. Great story. Great location. All around solid four star read for me. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #KimiCunninghamGrant, #StMartin'sPressMinotaurbooks for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

4/5 stars and a very high recommendation. Just have a few tissues around close.