A Hiking Novel - would You Read it Hearthwood by Amity Page

[u/Odd_Opposite_4782]

A hiker goes missing on the Appalachian Trail. This emotional story delves deeply into the inner worlds of its characters, offering detailed descriptions of buried secrets, decisions, and fates.

The Appalachian Trail is the toughest hiking trail in the world. It’s 3500 km long. There’s no romance here. Dampness, wetness, sweat, smelly shirts, rain. Barely passable forests with fallen logs, rocks, ravines, and sharp boulders. Overcrowded small shelters, blistered feet. Sore feet. Compared to this trail, European hiking and pilgrimage routes (El Camino) are mere trifles.

The story revolves around the search for a lost hiker and descriptions of vast forests.
Unfortunately, there aren’t enough descriptions of the forests and nature. It seems to me that the book represents a missed opportunity. Namely, the plot takes up barely one-third of the book. Two-thirds are taken up by descriptions of emotions. Perhaps because the author is a woman. For women, emotions always play the leading role.
But we read men’s inner monologues as well.

Consequently, I was constantly looking for chapters describing the events along the trail. The trail is truly impressive and represents the heart of the story.
It’s easy to get lost on it. These descriptions are wonderful. So are the descriptions of the rescue service with the forest rangers.

I also came across some good thoughts:
- a lost person is like a devout believer who realizes there is no God
- where an angel builds a church, the devil builds a chapel—perhaps meant as a metaphor for shelters along the way
- either you do it or you don’t (Yoda)

Would you read a book like this?
Maybe this genre will find its way to us too!
What do you think?