Review by _arohi8 -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
Posted: 04 Jun 2020, 05:27
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
A storm marks the arrival of Sarah Cooley in Tom Olsen’s life, both literally and metaphorically. Just learning that Sarah is his granddaughter, Tom is unsure what to do with her. He and his friends decide to bring her along the hike they’ve been meaning to take until they figure out what to do next. This new change is only the beginning of the discoveries they’ll make along the way. What could have been a normal hike in the wilderness turns into a legend told in first-hand.
Tom’s grandfather, Robert Olsen or Bob-Bob, left him an ancient atlatl that might change the present theory of the origin of people in America. After keeping it with him for 45 years, Tom has decided to bury it with Bob-Bob. But now his hike to Bob-Bob’s grave has a new member, Sarah. Sarah Cooley is a headstrong girl referred to as ‘ornery’ by her grandfather. But her stubbornness is what makes her a survivor. When the hike in the Olympic National Park extends to the history of humanity itself, her resolve to never give up keeps her alive to tell the tale. Sarah, together with her grandfather and his friends, will help clear the questions raised by the atlatl.
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon is a story set in the serene forests of the Olympic Peninsula. Apart from the main narration, the novel has Sarah’s narration as well. While the main narration keeps readers grounded to the Peninsula, Sarah’s narration takes us on a voyage on the unpredictable Pacific Ocean. In Sarah’s narration, there is a feel of ancient wisdom laden with mystical elements. Her narration takes readers to the primordial days and we get to experience the journey with her people to the Place People Were. The story is told in an easy flowing way of an oral tradition that is passed down from generation to generation. This is the kind of story told in campfires by elders passing down legends to young ones. You would want to know more and would keep listening just like you would keep turning the pages of this novel. From the very beginning of the story, the feel of folklore and spirituality is in the words. It maintains the steady flow of a fable until the very end where characters grow and mature along with the readers.
I loved everything about this novel. It has a perfect blend of anthropology and mysticism in the right ratio. The novel is well researched and even though it is fiction, it seems plausible. The description of places was fairly accurate as the author has experienced them personally. Charlie Sheldon also included maps of the places in the story for context. There wasn’t a single thing that I could say to have disliked.
This novel is suitable for readers of all ages. There is merely borderline cursing and no provocative scenes. It is also well edited and has a good vocabulary. I would recommend it to readers who typically enjoy folklore and legends. It is an ideal book to “curl up” with on a “rainy afternoon” as the author himself put it. I would give Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon a 4 out of 4 stars as this novel satisfied me in every way a novel can. It was beautiful in the way a fog-laden lake among trees is beautiful.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A storm marks the arrival of Sarah Cooley in Tom Olsen’s life, both literally and metaphorically. Just learning that Sarah is his granddaughter, Tom is unsure what to do with her. He and his friends decide to bring her along the hike they’ve been meaning to take until they figure out what to do next. This new change is only the beginning of the discoveries they’ll make along the way. What could have been a normal hike in the wilderness turns into a legend told in first-hand.
Tom’s grandfather, Robert Olsen or Bob-Bob, left him an ancient atlatl that might change the present theory of the origin of people in America. After keeping it with him for 45 years, Tom has decided to bury it with Bob-Bob. But now his hike to Bob-Bob’s grave has a new member, Sarah. Sarah Cooley is a headstrong girl referred to as ‘ornery’ by her grandfather. But her stubbornness is what makes her a survivor. When the hike in the Olympic National Park extends to the history of humanity itself, her resolve to never give up keeps her alive to tell the tale. Sarah, together with her grandfather and his friends, will help clear the questions raised by the atlatl.
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon is a story set in the serene forests of the Olympic Peninsula. Apart from the main narration, the novel has Sarah’s narration as well. While the main narration keeps readers grounded to the Peninsula, Sarah’s narration takes us on a voyage on the unpredictable Pacific Ocean. In Sarah’s narration, there is a feel of ancient wisdom laden with mystical elements. Her narration takes readers to the primordial days and we get to experience the journey with her people to the Place People Were. The story is told in an easy flowing way of an oral tradition that is passed down from generation to generation. This is the kind of story told in campfires by elders passing down legends to young ones. You would want to know more and would keep listening just like you would keep turning the pages of this novel. From the very beginning of the story, the feel of folklore and spirituality is in the words. It maintains the steady flow of a fable until the very end where characters grow and mature along with the readers.
I loved everything about this novel. It has a perfect blend of anthropology and mysticism in the right ratio. The novel is well researched and even though it is fiction, it seems plausible. The description of places was fairly accurate as the author has experienced them personally. Charlie Sheldon also included maps of the places in the story for context. There wasn’t a single thing that I could say to have disliked.
This novel is suitable for readers of all ages. There is merely borderline cursing and no provocative scenes. It is also well edited and has a good vocabulary. I would recommend it to readers who typically enjoy folklore and legends. It is an ideal book to “curl up” with on a “rainy afternoon” as the author himself put it. I would give Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon a 4 out of 4 stars as this novel satisfied me in every way a novel can. It was beautiful in the way a fog-laden lake among trees is beautiful.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon