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

Strong Heart is a work of fiction by Charlie Sheldon that is set somewhere in the scenic Pacific Northwest. Tom Olsen, together with his two friends, William and Myra, are setting off to visit his grand father's grave, deep into the wilderness. They are to return an ancient artifact. They do so in an act of reverence, aimed at appeasing the old ancestor as they seek his help in protecting the land from the greed of a mining company. The arrival of a teenage girl, named Sarah Cooley, a supposed granddaughter of Tom's, is an inconvenience he would have done anything to avoid. However, his friends prevail on him and they choose to carry Sarah along.

Tom soon realizes he had a lot more in his hands than just the trip.His supposed relative, Sarah, was quite a handful to deal with. From her rather coarse, untamed tongue and a strong will to reckon with, Tom can only wonder whether he had a heart strong enough to deal with the journey ahead. Real trouble sets in when their two strong wills collide in a heated argument, causing the whimsical, identity searching, Sarah to disappear mysteriously together with the precious artifact. Will she reappear? And would the journey continue?

Sarah does reappear after eight long days with a story to tell and a blood gushing injury on her head. In a trance like narration, she takes us through the journey of her own life as she had re-experienced it in the eight days. Her story is a melange of the typical heart rending experiences of a teenager with no home, a determined soul that often had to do what she had to do to survive. She speaks like one possessed or hypnotized, suddenly strong enough to face and narrate her fears to her long lost grandpa. She is strong and valiant, a girl capable of defending herself and others. No, she was not just some obnoxious teenager, but an avatar of a strong heart that needed to be discovered and acknowledged,not shunned.

Maybe the heart of the foregone ancestor would even be more pleased if Tom could find the courage to face up to his past; his long ended unsuccessful marriage, his dead daughter and of course see to the well being of the strong heart that was Sarah, his grand daughter. His companions too, in their own personal journeys; William, finding peace in ill health and Myra finding a reason for her life, could not help but identify with the strong heart that was Sarah.

The mixed type of narration that emphasizes the unity of the universe; from the vivid description of the flora and fauna, psychic transitions and the undeniable power of the spiritual, coupled with the harsh realities of human shortcomings, all evidenced in Sarah's journey, causes the reader to marvel at, and repossess the wealth of potential that lies within us. If only we could harness the power of the strong heart, that lies within us.

For its wealth of expression and its ability to resonate with nature and the human spirit, I'd give it a 4 out of 4 stars rating and highly recommend it to all who are still looking for answers.

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Strong Heart
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Thank you for sharing your profound and heartfelt thoughts and views. I also read, reviewed and loved the book. Indeed, there's an innate goodness and strength in each one of us. There's always hope.