Heartwood

 Amity Gaige is the author of Heartwood. This book is based on a true story. The story is based on Valerie Gillis, a fictional character, who is hiking the Appalachian Trail in the flip flop manner. Flip flop is when you start in the middle, hike to one end, then return to the middle and hike to the other end. Her husband is supporting her. When she is more than a day late to their meeting point, he reports her missing. This area of Maine is sparsely populated. It is also the site of a very private military installation. The Maine search and rescue start looking.  Volunteers come to help search. Search and Rescue dogs are brought in. Press conferences are held. Her parents offer a reward.  Beverly is the Maine State Warden in charge of the search. The Game Wardens interview other hikers who met her along the trail. She is a slow but competent hiker who people really seem to like. There are conspiracy theories being discussed. Most people think she will make it because she is a nurse and nurses are smart. As she hikes she realizes that she has fallen out of love with her husband. She enjoys her time more on the trail away from him. He takes the news in stride and continues to support her on the trail. He would prefer that she give up the adventure because she is moving so slow she will have to walk in the winter time. This was a good story and I enjoyed reading it.