These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant is a beautifully suspenseful read with very lovable characters and some turns you don't see coming. Emotionally striking, this books leaves you with a feeling of melancholic contentment, and the desire to visit a cabin in the woods. This is a story of love, honor, and angst.

Get your copy here.

Amazon Book Description

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.

Review

This book is not what I expected it to be when I first picked it up, and I am surprisingly delighted that it wasn't. I was left wanting more, which can be so heart-wrenching for a reader! I do not find this to be a thrilling book. Suspenseful, yes, but hardly a heart-pounding thriller. Throughout the book I felt the dread that Cooper felt, and the fear, but I was well into the book when the stirring events started. Several times I forgot I was even reading. It was a nice little break from my usual chaotic and dramatic reads. I felt that I just got to enjoy loving the characters throughout the whole story.

I find the elements of nature to be so beautiful. The woods are a place you can really picture, and I can feel the peace and calmness that it brings while I am reading.

Finch is such a beautiful little soul. I can see her running through the trees with her bouncing, pretending and dreaming of what could be more. She reminds me of Kya from Where The Crawdads Sing- her open heart for wildlife and her oblivion to the rest of the world. My heart aches for her, like Cooper's does, that she deserves to see the world and experience normal little girl things.

My heart aches for Cooper too. Just trying to be a dad and take care of her the best he can, but he feels it isn't enough. In my experience, girls love their dads no matter what, and really this whole ordeal has created a pretty special bond, not one that everyone gets with their dad. This is another beautiful element laced into the book.

Cooper clearly has been through a lot with being a soldier and a widower. His unfortunate life events left him troubled and lonely, and although it seems he could have made better decisions, the reader knows he just loves his daughter and wants what is best for her instead of what would make him comfortable. Cooper reminds me of my own dad. A real caretaker, someone you can always count on to be there, and also freaking out about the fence being left open.

This is the first book I have read regarding children being taken from parents since having my daughter. It is a gut-wrenching thought to have your child taken away from you by anyone. I would have fought tooth and nail, and probably hurt people also. Living in solitude doesn't sound so bad if you know your child is safe.

I was crying towards the end, which hardly ever happens. I am hardly ever so captivated by a story to bring me to tears. Parts are heartbreaking and sorrowful, and you can really feel the characters' emotions. I wished things were different for them many times, but in the end, everything worked out the way it should have, and there was peace in that.

I got very attached to the plot events and the characters, and not all books can grab hold of me like this one did. The story ends up being one of great sacrifice, unity, love, and growth. Honor over comfort, is where this story ended up. Sacrifice for those that you love, and those that deserve it. Grab your copy of These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant here.