Review by abudaniel28 -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
Posted: 23 May 2020, 00:46
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
Strong Heart, the first in the Strong Heart series by Charlie Sheldon, is an adventure story set in Washington State. The book starts with Tom Olsen, his Native American friend, William aka Eye, and Eye’s daughter, Myra discussing their upcoming camping trip. This is no ordinary camping trip, however, as Tom seeks closure, and also hopes to solve the mystery surrounding the untimely death of his grandfather, Bob-Bob. All seems to be going according to plan when all of a sudden, Tom’s granddaughter, Sarah, whose very existence is new to Tom, is dropped off with him because no one knows what to do with her I-hate-the-whole-world attitude. And so, Sarah ends up as part of this hiking company that goes on the trip of their life, full of twists and turns.
This is an interesting book - part adventure, part mystery, and part historical fact, which is based partially on true events and places. So if this is not your type of genre, then no need to go further. However, you won’t regret it should you give it a try. This book makes one think: about how people lived centuries ago, about friendship, family, and the importance of sticking to one’s convictions, even in the face of threats.
What I like about the book is the history, most importantly, Tom’s account of his heritage. Just imagine you can hear about the adventures of your great-great-great-great-grandfather. Wouldn’t that be something! That’s just the situation where Sarah is in this book. Furthermore, I am a fan of authors who have mastered the art of keeping their readers on the edge of their seats, while taking them on a journey through a maze of names, events, and places, yet manage to bring their audience out with ease. This is how I feel about Charlie Sheldon's Strong Heart. I also appreciate that the title of the novel reflects the story of one of the main characters, Sarah. Strong Heart is the name Sarah earns for herself because of her courage and determination.
I do have one thing against Strong Heart though: it is too short. It is less than 300 pages; one is just beginning to get into the story, and then, it is over. Luckily, Book Two in the series, Adrift is already available.
I would recommend Strong Heart to anyone looking for a good read, or anyone interested in the history of the Native Americans and the hardship they went through. I would also recommend it to EFL students due to its easy-to-read style. I am giving Strong Heart four out of four stars because it is a well-written, well-edited, and coherent novel; the story and the characters are believable.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Strong Heart, the first in the Strong Heart series by Charlie Sheldon, is an adventure story set in Washington State. The book starts with Tom Olsen, his Native American friend, William aka Eye, and Eye’s daughter, Myra discussing their upcoming camping trip. This is no ordinary camping trip, however, as Tom seeks closure, and also hopes to solve the mystery surrounding the untimely death of his grandfather, Bob-Bob. All seems to be going according to plan when all of a sudden, Tom’s granddaughter, Sarah, whose very existence is new to Tom, is dropped off with him because no one knows what to do with her I-hate-the-whole-world attitude. And so, Sarah ends up as part of this hiking company that goes on the trip of their life, full of twists and turns.
This is an interesting book - part adventure, part mystery, and part historical fact, which is based partially on true events and places. So if this is not your type of genre, then no need to go further. However, you won’t regret it should you give it a try. This book makes one think: about how people lived centuries ago, about friendship, family, and the importance of sticking to one’s convictions, even in the face of threats.
What I like about the book is the history, most importantly, Tom’s account of his heritage. Just imagine you can hear about the adventures of your great-great-great-great-grandfather. Wouldn’t that be something! That’s just the situation where Sarah is in this book. Furthermore, I am a fan of authors who have mastered the art of keeping their readers on the edge of their seats, while taking them on a journey through a maze of names, events, and places, yet manage to bring their audience out with ease. This is how I feel about Charlie Sheldon's Strong Heart. I also appreciate that the title of the novel reflects the story of one of the main characters, Sarah. Strong Heart is the name Sarah earns for herself because of her courage and determination.
I do have one thing against Strong Heart though: it is too short. It is less than 300 pages; one is just beginning to get into the story, and then, it is over. Luckily, Book Two in the series, Adrift is already available.
I would recommend Strong Heart to anyone looking for a good read, or anyone interested in the history of the Native Americans and the hardship they went through. I would also recommend it to EFL students due to its easy-to-read style. I am giving Strong Heart four out of four stars because it is a well-written, well-edited, and coherent novel; the story and the characters are believable.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon