While searching for my next audiobook in the suspense genre, I came across These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant on my wishlist. The setting of a father and daughter living in the woods with no electricity and no connection to the outside world because a secret is being held sounded quite intriguing. Plus, it's the perfect time of year to read about surviving in the wilderness. Well, I suppose I would think that regardless of the current season. 

Cooper has lived in a cabin in the remote woods for eight years with his daughter, Finch. Their cabin has no electricity, and they never leave the woods. They receive supplies from a long-time friend, Jake, who visits once a year. There is a squirrelly neighbor, Scotland, whom Cooper finds distrustful and sneaky. Finch, who is quite intelligent, curious, and compassionate, learns from the bounty of books in the cabin. This year, Jake doesn’t show up as scheduled to bring their annual supplies, and Cooper is forced to develop a new plan for their survival. A stranger wanders onto their property, threatening the safe haven Cooper has created all these years. These events spark the most complex and emotionally draining spiral for Cooper and Finch.

This book was perfect! I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did when I clicked the borrow button on the Hoopla app. The writing is outstanding. Grant not only thoroughly described each scene, so I could easily imagine myself there, I could feel myself in the cabin and in the woods. The emotions of the characters, whom I adored, were so strong and powerful. I appreciate how the backstory unfolded, too. The author gradually reveals Cooper’s history and why he chose to live in the remote woods with his young daughter. 

There were times I couldn’t stop listening, and there were times I was grateful for an interruption to my reading, so I could stop listening — it was that emotional. As the end neared, the tears began; tears of sadness and of joy. And the ending was exceptionally special. I was floored. The beauty of grace is impressive. 

Like I mentioned, I borrowed the audiobook of These Silent Woods from my local library with the Hoopla app. I admire Grant’s writing so much that I am an instant fan. I will be reading all of her books. Narration by Bronson Pinchot was perfect. He is now included as one of my favorite narrators. 

I want to credit the original artwork in the photo with the book cover. The artist is Patrick Riley, and his original oil painting, A Place to Rest My Mind, is available here. His website https://patrickriley.art contains original paintings, drawings, watercolors, and photography. Each original artwork comes with a poem written by the artist specifically for each painting. I thought the painting of a trail in the woods paired perfectly with this book.

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