I began These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant yesterday morning. I finished it late last night…well, technically I suppose I finished it very early this morning!

First, the synopsis:

No electricity, no family, no connection to the outside world.

For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. And that’s exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he’s got a lot to hide. Finch has been raised on the books filling the cabin’s shelves and the beautiful but brutal code of life in the wilderness. But she’s starting to push back against the sheltered life Cooper has created for her—and he’s still haunted by the painful truth of what it took to get them there.

The only people who know they exist are a mysterious local hermit named Scotland, and Cooper’s old friend, Jake, who visits each winter to bring them food and supplies. But this year, Jake doesn’t show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Suddenly, the boundaries of their safe haven have blurred—and when a stranger wanders into their woods, Finch’s growing obsession with her could put them all in danger. After a shocking disappearance threatens to upend the only life Finch has ever known, Cooper is forced to decide whether to keep hiding—or finally face the sins of his past.

I gave this book (which I found at my local library) 5 stars. I loved it!

Kimi Cunningham Grant has written a mesmerizing novel with a fantastic, lovely storyline and captivating characters. I was engrossed from the first page. I found Cooper and Finch’s life so unusual and also completely fascinating. The author delicately delivered the backstory of Cooper’s past life in such an eloquent way; I could feel his guilt and his resolve to be a good father to Finch. The supporting characters were just as mesmerizing, and the epilogue brought tears to my eyes.

This was one of the most satisfying books I’ve read in a while.