I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant Published by Minotaur Books on November 16 2021
Genres: Adult, Suspense
Pages: 288
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A surprisingly emotional story about family bonds and the lengths one father will go to protect his child.
I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I expected These Silent Woods to be a thriller. I’ve seen lots of reviews from readers who were surprised that the story they expected wasn’t the story they got. And while there are some very suspenseful moments, the main focus is on the characters and their relationships with each other, and I ended up absolutely loving this book. This is a heartwarming and emotional story about the bond between a father and his daughter, the secrets the father is keeping, and how the world seems to be conspiring against them.
Cooper and his eight-year-old daughter Finch live in a secluded cabin in the Northern Appalachian woods, completely off the grid. They hunt for food and dote on their four chickens, who supply them with eggs year round. Once a year on December 14th, Cooper’s old Army buddy Jake brings them supplies for the coming year. Jake is only one of two people who know where they live, since Cooper made the decision to leave his life behind and hide up in the mountains. In fact, the cabin they’re staying at is Jake’s, and he’s a loyal friend and keeps Cooper’s secrets to himself. The other person in their very tiny circle of acquaintances is a crotchety old man named Scotland, who lives nearby and occasionally shows up at the cabin uninvited. Cooper doesn’t like him much, but for some reason Scotland knows everything about Cooper’s past, so he treads carefully whenever he’s around. Finch, on the other hand, has grown to love Scotland, especially when he brings her little trinkets, like animal skulls he’s found while hunting.
Their lives are near idyllic, but the older Finch gets, the more questions she asks. Cooper hasn’t told her the truth about what happened when she was a baby, and it’s getting harder and harder to placate her with the bland stories he’s offered up over the years. Finch is a curious girl who knows there’s more out there, but Cooper knows they can never let anyone find them.
And then one December 14th, Jake never arrives. Instead, his sister Marie shows up, setting off a chain of events that will threaten the peaceful, solitary life that Cooper has worked so hard to protect.
The author masterfully sets up an intriguing mystery—what did Cooper do?—and slowly reveals the details over the course of the story. Little by little the reader comes to understand why Cooper and Finch are squirreled away in a tiny cabin in the woods, and with each revelation, I felt more and more tender toward this rather complex character. Cooper also reveals some key events in his past, like his stint in the Army and the PTSD he still suffers because of those awful years. We get to know his wife Cindy and what happened to her, and he even delves into his own childhood and his relationship with his mother. It doesn’t take long to realize that Cooper is in a terrible situation. He wants to protect his daughter at all costs, but one wrong step and all the carefully placed pieces of his life will come tumbling down.
Another mystery is introduced later in the story—and I won’t spoil things by going into details—but while it’s more of the traditional “murder mystery” you might expect, it’s mostly a side plot that really only exists to force Cooper to make some hard decisions. And I was OK with that, because for me this story is all about the characters.
And let’s talk about Finch and Scotland. Finch is a delightfully precocious child, already well read due to the cabin’s library of old literature and poetry. Finch recites Walt Whitman poems to Cooper whenever she’s trying to make a point, which I loved. She’s never known any other life, so to her it’s perfectly normal to forage and hunt and chop firewood so they won’t freeze to death in the winter. There are so many tender moments between Finch and Cooper, and parents in particular will relate to Cooper’s desperate desire to protect her.
Scotland, however, seems to be the main threat to the two in the beginning. The reader is immediately on alert whenever he appears. He spies on Cooper and Finch through the scope of his AK-47 and sees everything they do. He knows way more about Cooper’s secrets than he should, and I really didn’t like him at all (also the fact that he has an AK-47 is pretty alarming). But Scotland has some surprises in store, and I was blown away a couple of times during the story. Many of the emotional moments revolve around him, surprisingly, and I ended up changing my mind about him in the end.
The last quarter of the book really hit me hard emotionally. There are some heartbreaking moments, but also some joyful ones. I have to admit I was a wreck by the end of the story! Readers looking for a “thrill a minute” mystery/thriller might be disappointed, but those who appreciate an excellent, character-driven story with a little suspense thrown in will probably love this as much as I did.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
This sounds like an interesting story! And I just love that it hit you hard emotionally, I’m a fan of reads that do that <3
Me too! I hate to admit crying, lol, but it’s actually a compliment to the writer.
This sounds like a super intriguing and emptional story. I really wanna know now why Cooper and his daughter live in a secluded cabin far away from civilization. The cover is also pretty amazing looking and atmospheric!
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Yes, I love the cover too, and it sets the tone perfectly.
I am curious about how this story hits you so emotionally. I expected it to be a thriller too, and the characterisation has my attention as well.
The emotional parts were such a surprise!
Thank you for your detailed, contemplative review. Yes, what I expected from this book was thriller, but when an author can move the reader emotionally, I think that’s even better.
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I agree, I usually bump up my rating based on how emotional a story makes me feel:-)
Beautiful review, Tammy. I also loved this story. Like you I expected a thriller and was surprised, but pleasantly so, with what I got. There was that bit of thriller, and that bit of mystery, but this story is so much more about family and emotion. I loved the relationship between Cooper and Finch. On one side I loved the life Finch got to live as I’ve often thought what it might be like to live that way. But I also felt immensely sad for her to not have the opportunity to experience anything else. And I had similar feelings to yours about Scotland throughout the book. The author did a great job with that character. I’m so glad to see you enjoyed this one, I’d hoped you would. 🙂
Thank you Todd:-) I love when an author surprises me, especially when they can change my mind about a character. That’s great writing:-)
This sounds amazing! Based on the cover, I probably wouldn’t have picked this up, but now that I’ve read your review, I’m intrigued!
The cover actually works with the story, but I know what you mean. It’s hard to tell what it’s about.
I am glad you reviewed this because I did think it was suppose to be a thriller and I would be mad if that isn’t what I got. I don’t like it when I think something and it is something else. It sounds okay and slightly interesting so maybe I will put it on my library list.
It’s definitely more of an emotional story than a thriller, so at least you know:-)
I have been eyeing this book since I first heard about it and I’m glad you reviewed it, Tammy! I feel like I need to read this right now because I can feel how much you loved this story! I love the sound of the story, these characters, everything!
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You would love it, I think:-)
On your recommendation, I bumped this one up the list and I’m so glad I did. I finished it in a day, it was that good! I think my review will be a 5 stars!
Oh cool! I can’t wait to read your review:-)
You’ve convinced me. Great review – and I’m all about the character led stories.
Lynn 😀
It’s sooo good!
Given your description of this story and its characters, and their complex relationships, I think one could easily give up on the thriller element: there seem to be far too many intriguing narrative threads – not to mention the potential for character analysis – that I’m certain I would enjoy this book very much. And of course I’m oh-so-curious to learn what’s Cooper’s secret! 😉
Thanks for sharing!