The God of the Woods

In the early hours of August 1975, a camp counselor stumbles upon an empty bunk. Barbara Van Laar, a thirteen-year-old camper, is missing. But Barbara isn’t just any child—she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs much of the local community. And this isn’t the first time tragedy has struck the Van Laar family. Fourteen years earlier, Barbara’s older brother disappeared without a trace.

As a frantic search for Barbara unfolds, a complex and gripping drama ensues. Liz Moore’s multi-layered narrative delves deep into the Van Laar family’s hidden secrets, unraveling the intricate ties of a working-class community that has long lived in their shadow. In this, Moore’s most ambitious novel to date, she invites readers into a world rich with mysteries, second chances, and unspoken truths.