These Silent Woods
These Silent Woods book cover

These Silent Woods

Price
$10.49
Format
Paperback
Pages
304
Publisher
Minotaur
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1250793416
Dimensions
5.35 x 0.8 x 8.25 inches
Weight
9.3 ounces

Description

People Magazine's "Best New Books" November 2021 One of the "Biggest Mysteries and Thrillers for 2021"― Goodreads One of the "Best New Books to Read" -- New York Post One of the "Best New Books of October 2021" -- PopSugar.com One of the "20 Fall and Winter Releases to Have on Your Radar" -- Bookish.com One of the "October Mysteries & Thrillers to Know"-- Bookriot.com One of the “26 Best New Books for This Fall” ― Country Living One of the "Outstanding Thriller Book Releases 2021"-- TheNerdDaily.com One of the "Latest Mysteries, Debuts, Holiday Tales and Reimaginings from Down South" ― Deep South Magazine "A secretive Army vet and his precocious daughter have lived eight years in the Appalachian wilderness―until a mysterious stranger intrudes." -- People Magazine “Your next must read.” – Country Living “If you want suspense, atmospheric, a remote setting, and a character-driven narrative with an ending you’ll be thinking about long after finishing, this is absolutely your next read.” – Book Riot “[A] multilayered work of suspense...Grant anchors the novel with penetrating creativity and striking originality, augmented by enduringly memorable characters and precise, occasionally lyrical prose. At once heartbreaking and harrowing, redemptive and riveting.” – Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star "Grant's lyrical writing and a deep understanding of her characters propel These Silent Woods …[an] emotional story that gains heart-pounding suspense when the outside world intrudes.” – Shelf Awareness "[An] evocative novel of suspense...Grant is a writer to watch." -- Publishers Weekly "Grant’s evocative prose, nuanced characters, and undercurrent of quiet tension will appeal to a variety of readers.” – Library Journal “An engrossing lesson in survivalism...soulful [and] meditative.” – Kirkus Reviews “Gorgeously written, taut and compelling.” – John Hart, bestselling author of The Hush “An exceptional novel, filled with vivid prose and surprising revelations of character.” – Ron Rash, bestselling author of Serena “A beautifully rendered tale of guilt and grace.” –Laura McHugh, bestselling author of The Weight of Blood “Grant’s atmospheric novel masterfully ratchets the quietest of tense moments into powerful suspense.” – Jess Montgomery, author of The Hollows “An emotionally potent novel whose tragic characters and moral quandaries linger long after the stunning final pages.” –Ian Pisarcik, author of Before Familiar Woods “Elegiac yet hopeful, raw but beautiful, and simmering with suspense, These Silent Woods is observant to the core.” – Emily Carpenter, author of Burying the Honeysuckle Girls Kimi Cunningham Grant is the author of Fallen Mountains , Silver Like Dust , and These Silent Woods . Kimi is a two-time winner of a Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Prize in Poetry and a recipient of a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts fellowship in creative nonfiction. Her poems and essays have appeared in Fathom , Literary Mama, RATTLE, Poet Lore , and Whitefish Review . She lives with her family in Pennsylvania.

Features & Highlights

  • 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.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(2K)
★★★★
25%
(1.7K)
★★★
15%
(1K)
★★
7%
(468)
23%
(1.5K)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Unexpectedly beautiful

“I just want to keep you with me.”

Let me start off like most reviewers and say that this is NOT a thriller. Trust me.
However, it did surprise and move me. A perfect example that you can make a big impact in a few pages. (304)

It would be PERFECT for someone who doesn’t like the thriller genre but wants something suspenseful, gripping, mysterious and strangely beautiful. (Yes, I cried)

This also takes place during the Autumn and Christmas season. If you want something that's exciting, but not gruesome, romantic but not a rom com and has a gentle thread of God but NOT "let me convert you," and in your face. This is a great choice.... the religious stuff is not overbearing or huge. But for those who are religious, you will appreciate it. To those who aren’t, it won’t take away from your experience.

The writing style may feel a little stilted at first, but it fits perfectly with the character, and it's done with a purpose. While I was intrigued all the way through, it may feel slow for some but just keep going.

WOULD HAVE LIKED:
I would have liked a bit more romance throughout, but I understand why it wasn’t as prevalent.
I also wouldn't have minded the memories to be a little longer. Just because I wanted more

“A poem would be a better way to say goodbye.” ..... oh my heart.
13 people found this helpful
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Absolutely beautiful story. So sad that it’s over!

Wow.

So about halfway through this book, I was waiting for some crazy twist and started to realize that there was no twist. It truly was just a story about a father and daughter… the lengths a parent would go to keep their child with them and safe.

At first I was disappointed (maybe I’ve been reading too many thrillers lately), but as the book came to a close, I found myself wanting more. I wish there had been more stories of Cooper and Finch and their times in the woods. I wished I could have read about Finch discovering more in the world and Cooper reintegrating into society. His trip to Walmart was one of my favorite chapters.

I rarely have book hangovers where I long for more time with the characters, but this one has me feeling down… so sad about Scotland and wishing there was a way he could be saved as well… wanting more time in the cabin with Cooper, Finch, and Scotland.

These characters will stick with me for quite a while. I’ve read quite a few books this year and last. I can confidently say that these 3 characters have been the most memorable and this story will be the one that I’ll think back to most often. What an absolutely beautiful story! I am genuinely sad that it’s over.
8 people found this helpful
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Slow to get going and poor ending

I read this with my book club. Personally I found it slow going for several chapters. There was little action and the characters were not developed well. Once things began to get moving it seemed as if the author threw events in there just for the sake of it. Certain happenings did not add to the reading experience but instead made the book unbelievable.
3 people found this helpful
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Wow, was not expecting to cruise through this in a couple days

These Silent Woods starts off with so much unanswered questions. How did the main characters end up in the cabin? Who is the mysterious person that shows up? How do they survive? I don't read as often as I should and I would call myself a book collector. When I started this book, I just couldn't put it down. Every page you turn, your telling yourself one more chapter or one more page. It's an easy read and sucks you into the point of view of the main character to the point where you feel like you're actually in the woods. I loved this book and would recommend it! I'll definitely be checking out Fallen Mountains by the same author as that was highly rated as well.
2 people found this helpful
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OH MY GOD!

This book deserves all the hype! This was a excellent book, it will put you in every single mood! A must read! And the ending was pure perfection!
1 people found this helpful
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Wonderful read!

Could not put this book down- very well written, great storytelling. Love the characters!!!!!!
1 people found this helpful
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LOVE LOVE LOVE

I absolutely loved this book. The story of cooper really was heartfelt. And the ending really sold it for me.
There was a few slow chapters in the middle but you just fall in love with the characters.
1 people found this helpful
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Not necessarily a thriller but such an emotional great read!

I expected something completely different going into this, but I couldn't be happier with what the story was actually about and how it played out! First, I was originally drawn to this not only because of the brief description but also that it was being marketed as a thriller. After reading this, I would definitely not characterize it as much of a thriller. I enjoyed learning the backstory of the characters in this novel and enjoyed the enthusiasm and innocence of Finch. This story gave me many emotions but also kept me constantly drawn in and wondering where the story would lead to. The ending was bittersweet and a perfect way to end the story. I highly recommend this book but definitely suggest not paying much attention to the supposed thriller genre that it is advertised as.
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Slow but solid

Though it was a slow read, it did keep me hooked. I wouldn’t say this was a thriller, but maybe a bit suspenseful. A few clichés and a predictable ending but I did enjoy the ride.
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It was okay

A little slow