Heartwood by Amity Gaige

Book Review: Heartwood by Amity Gaige

Amity Gaige’s Heartwood, a Read with Jenna pick, is a quiet, beautifully written novel full of real, lived-in emotion. It follows a woman trying to make sense of her marriage, her family, and her place in the world. As she navigates loss and change, Gaige explores how love and memory can both anchor us and hold us back. Gaige’s writing is graceful and intimate without feeling overly polished. She has a talent for capturing the small, ordinary moments that carry deep meaning—the silence between two people, the comfort of familiar places, the way the past lingers in everyday life. Heartwood moves at a gentle pace, but its emotional honesty keeps you turning the pages. It’s not a dramatic story so much as a thoughtful one, filled with quiet revelations and beautifully drawn characters. Readers who enjoy the subtle emotional depth of Ann Patchett or Elizabeth Strout will find a lot to love here. In the end, Heartwood is a tender meditation on family, forgiveness, and the resilience that grows from heartbreak. It’s the kind of story that stays with you long after you close the book.