The wilderness is as essential as oxygen for Idaho hunting and fishing guide Emlyn Anthony, as she revels in nature's beauty and enjoys her solitude without the complications of people in Kimi Cunningham Grant's evocative novel The Nature of Disappearing.
Grant perceptively shows how the outdoors became Emlyn's life force, even after she nearly died in the forest when her boyfriend Tyler Stone abandoned her on a camping trip three years ago. Since then, Emlyn has built a reputation as a top guide, though her clients complain she's too aloof. She allows only two people to be emotionally close--Varden, the area Forest Service agent who has a crush on her, and Ruth, who took her in when she first arrived. Her nomadic life suits her: she moves her Airstream trailer from one site to another. Then Tyler returns, begging forgiveness because he needs Emlyn's help to find her former best friend Janessa, now a popular influencer who works for Tyler and touts "van life" travel. Janessa has disappeared along with her partner, Bush, and her lack of social media posts has Tyler worried, though the police aren't taking their disappearance seriously.
Emlyn has found an inner strength and survival skills by trusting her knowledge of nature. She no longer believes she can rely on people. Complicated relationships add a sense of danger that centers on the rift between Emlyn and Janessa, which was exacerbated by Tyler.
Grant (These Silent Woods; Fallen Mountains) punctuates The Nature of Disappearing with breathtaking scenery and the violence that lurks on every trail, from wild animals, steep cliffs, extreme weather, and--scariest of all--humanity. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer