An advance readers’ edition of These Silent Woods, by Kimi Cunningham Grant
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Every so often I like to share something mostly unrelated to photography, though when it comes to creativity I think all pursuits are related. We can learn much from folks pursing arts and crafts that differ from our own. And of course, there’s the simple pursuit of enjoyment, itself, and isn’t that worth something, too?
Today I want to share a book I read which should be available as of today (November 16, 2021). I was fortunate to win an advance readers’ edition of These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant through a goodreads giveaway.
What first struck me about the book, what prompted me to enter the giveaway, was the cover. I loved the design of it, how it was a simple photograph, mostly with dark shades of blue, and a small snow-covered clearing in the lower right with the red house. I liked the placement of the words in the title, how they led you down to the house, and how they changed color from black to red, with the author’s name then in a lighter color. I even liked how the ‘W’ in ‘Woods’ is slightly hidden behind a ridge, helping to convey depth. I think the cover does a great job setting up the story, leaving us feeling curious about this little house all alone in the mountains. It’s cold. It’s quiet. But the house is nestled in and protected by the forest. I could see myself enjoying living in a location like this.
The story was not what I expected, and yet I wasn’t at all disappointed. I just reread the book’s description on goodreads and it does seem accurate. I think I was expecting more of a thriller full of suspense and tension, and there’s certainly some of that here, but I think it’s more a book about people and most especially about a father and a daughter and what one will do to protect and hold on to the other. And it’s a book about subtle mysteries, where the father, Cooper, has already done things to protect his daughter, Finch, but we don’t know right off what those things are or why they drove the two to live in this secluded cabin in the woods. And that’s what the entire book is then about, slowly revealing how they came to be where they are, what kind of people they ultimately are, and how it will all turn out, with plenty of foreshadowing throughout.
I really enjoyed the characters, they felt real. We have Cooper, who’s been through a lot but manages to have a beautiful daughter and does all he can to provide for her. There’s Finch, his young daughter, who loves growing up in the woods and absolutely thrives there, but who also begins to wonder more about the world at large the older she gets. How long can this seclusion go on? There were many touching moments between the two. And we have Scotland, a neighbor of sorts who also lives out in the woods and keeps watch on Cooper and Finch. But why is he so interested in them? Can he be trusted? Over time we meet others, though not many. It’s a fairly small cast.
Being a photographer I loved the inclusion of photography, though it was a very minor part of the story. After all these years of peaceful seclusion they one day begin noticing evidence of a photographer prowling through their part of the woods. What is the photographer doing here? And what do they know about Cooper and Finch?
I also loved the attention to nature and the animals they encounter. In fact, Cooper and Finch aren’t their real names, but aliases to help hide their identify. Cooper is named after a Cooper’s hawk, and of course Finch is named after the species of bird. The setting worked really well and it’s one I’ve always enjoyed, a secluded cabin up in the mountains surrounded by forest with plenty of space for hiking and exploring. When the snow sets in it seems a beautiful location, though you do appreciate the seclusion and the realization they’d have to make do until the snow cleared enough to travel, not that they travel much.
I will admit to occasionally having doubts about whether they’d have ended up as they did, wondering if life would have happened differently outside the story, but these didn’t really detract much. And in at least one case my doubts were later addressed, which I was very happy to see.
Overall I very much enjoyed These Silent Woods and would be up for reading more by the author. The pace picks up significantly towards the end, giving us a bit of that thriller feel, the uncertainty of how it will all turn out, while also weaving in some incredibly emotional scenes. This was a heartfelt story exploring relationships, what we’d do for those we care about, who we are and how the past shapes us, how we look at and judge others, and what sacrifices we’re willing to make for others. A beautifully told story.
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