Review by msambi -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon

[msambi]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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This story takes place in the Olympic Peninsula wilderness in Washington State. Tom, his Native American friend William and William's daughter Myra are about to go on a camping trip. Not an ordinary camping trip but Tom is going to find the place where his great grandfather died while Tom was with him. Right before they are about to leave, Tom's ex-wife arrives at his doorstep with his young teenage granddaughter, who he didn't even know existed. Sarah is not happy about this situation and voices her opinions.

Tom and his friends decide to go on this trip anyway and take Sarah with them. On this trip they are learning about each other and learning to trust each other as well. Sarah disappears for a time and when she returns she tells them what happened to her. Tom doesn't believe her story, thinking that it would have been impossible to happen in this day and age and within the time she was missing. Her story tells of a long ago time of Native American history.
They are also fighting to keep this area from being taken over by developers believing that this could be a historical site.

This book has 44 chapters and is mostly written in Sarah’s point of view as she told them her adventure during her disappearance. The book is a little confusing in the first chapter of her story telling. I guess it is because what happened in her story doesn’t fit well with the length of time of her disappearance.

The book provides a magical blend of science, tribal legends, Adventure, scientific inquiry, a tinge of mystery, and a hint of the unexplainable infuse this meticulously-imagined tale and the exploration of familial ties. These themes are all interwoven throughout the story, creating a powerful plot .Sheldon’s tale startles, yet challenge us to think.

In conclusion, I rate Strong Heart 3 out of 4 stars. There were very little grammatical errors. The only issue I can pick with the book is that it at times gets dull. After a strong opening, the book quickly becomes a somewhat boring read. The pacing of the book is very slow, and Sheldon spends far too much time in the day to day of the characters between the points where interesting things happen however chapter headings are beautifully illustrated and maps of the area helps one acquaint themselves. I like this book and I enjoyed reading it and recommend it for teenagers

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Strong Heart
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