The God of the Woods by Liz Moore is a riveting story about family secrets and lies.
I was a big fan of Liz Moore’s previous novel, Long Bright River. I highly recommend you check that one out if you haven’t. She has this masterful writing style where she’s able to blend genres so seamlessly and the reader is left with a rich, vivid story.
She brought this approach again to The God of the Woods. It’s part literary thriller, revealing character study, a look at how power corrupts and much more. It truly is a stunning story that will no doubt be on all the best books of 2024 lists.
But it’s not an easy read. It covers not one, but two missing children, and the ramifications it has on the family and the larger community. There are some unsettling aspects that unfold. But like Long Bright River, Liz Moore handles her stories with care and respect.
What’s the Story About
The story is set in 1975 at a summer camp in Northeastern New York. A camp counselor discovers one of the campers, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.
The novel follows the present, but also looks back at different periods of the past, including when Barbara’s older brother went missing.
The Missing
About 14 years ago, Bear, Barbara’s older brother, set out on a hike with his grandfather and he never returned. Investigators centered on a local man, Carl Stoddard, who worked at the camp, as the suspect but he had a heart attack and died before the investigation could continue. And while the police still said he was the perpetuator, his family has fought those allegations ever since, especially as no body was ever found.
And now Barbara is missing.
Missing person stories are always disturbing. And the first question, I had when first reading is how does one family experience two missing people cases? Liz Moore takes on the journey of the how, but also the why.
It’s such a fascinating tale—both timelines are engaging and surprising. It covers so much from how money corrupts; the treatment of women in this time period; the consequences of lies and inaction and much more.
Character Study
What makes Liz Moore’s stories set apart from the typical mysteries out there, is her unmatched approach to truly dive into the characters. There’s a ton of characters in this story and we read the viewpoint of several, but she handles it quite well and there is no aspect untold—you truly feel like you know these characters.
And while I know you won’t agree with some of their actions, I certainly didn’t, she gives a window to their decision making and it’s quite fascinating.
There’s quite a bit of twists and surprises too.
Verdict
This is an extraordinary novel. I did not want to put it down and had to know what was going to happen next. It covers so many themes, along with providing a compelling mystery. Liz Moore is a special writer.
The God of the Woods is a wonderful pick for book clubs. There’s so much to discuss and analyze so definitely add it to your book club list for the coming months.
For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here.
