Heart of the Wild: A Novel

Summary

“A crackling read where every page leaves you holding your breath for what's next.” —Kathryn Stockett, #1 New York Times bestselling author

New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan Henry’s riveting new novel takes the reader deep into the woods where a lost teenage girl’s fight for survival, and her mother’s desperate search, collide with a town secret and forever transform a family.

It’s the summer of 1972 and hope feels increasingly fragile for Jenny McKinney. With her husband missing in action in Vietnam, she seeks escape as much as stability and accepts a teaching job in the remote mountain town of Silverveil, North Carolina.

Her fifteen year old daughter, Emma, sensitive and intelligent, senses her mother has other reasons for their move to the mountains. Before she can press for answers, Emma is sent away to a youth group retreat with only her father's worn copy of The Call of the Wild for comfort.

On the last day of the retreat, Emma strays from the trail and becomes hopelessly lost. With no clear path back to camp, she relies on instinct, animal signs, and the vast, unyielding wild for guidance.

As days go by and exhaustion, hunger, and fear begin to hollow her out, Emma’s fate feels uncertain. But she is not alone. Deep in the woods, another teenage girl is keeping watch—resourceful and determined to remain unseen. As they move through the same wilderness, their stories begin to collide, forcing them to discover their strength.

Aching and gritty, Heart of the Wild is an atmospheric journey about love and loss, abandonment and belonging, and small-town secrets whose roots run much deeper than just the forest floor.