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

Strong Heart begins dramatically during a storm. With instantaneous foreshadowing, we are prepared in the opening paragraph to expect great, roaring animals and an awakening of ancient spirits. Tom is thinking of these things as he prepares for an important and difficult personal pilgrimage. He has invited his friend William, and William’s daughter Myra, to join him. They have gathered at Tom’s house on the eve of their departure. There is a bold series of knocks at the door. William opens the door. It is then and there that Tom learns that he is a grandfather. Standing on his porch is a defiant young girl named Sarah. She is the spitting image of his dead daughter. It is decided that Sarah will join them, for better or worse, on their journey.

Strong Heart is my favorite kind of book. Charlie Sheldon has crafted a great push/pull between science and legend while telling a gripping adventure story. His blend of facts, ancient stories, and magical realism gave me a lot to think about and moved this story along at a brisk pace. The magical realism is grounded in the evidence of know scientific facts.

A good set of maps at the beginning of the book sets the stage for a journey and we get more than one. Several of these characters are on their own "hero’s journey" and they all grow along the way. Consequently, there is more than one story in this book and I enjoyed how the “voice” and tone of the writing changed depending on the storyteller. I especially liked Sarah’s tale and found I was reading more quickly in those sections, propelled by her narrative and imagining how I would cope if I were there with her.

I recommend Strong Heart to readers who simply enjoy fantastical, well-told stories. This book will especially appeal to those interested in Native American history, anthropology, oral history, storytelling, magical realism, adventure, or historical fiction.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. There wasn’t anything that didn’t ring true and I found no distracting mistakes or typographical errors. The story was exciting and edifying. The characters, each with their own trajectory and motivations, felt honest and their relationships with each other evolved in logical ways. I certainly hope there is a book series in the works because while the ending was plenty satisfying, there is certainly more story to be told here and I can’t wait to read it.

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Strong Heart
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Like dtb's review? Post a comment saying so!

I'd love to hear what you think of my review or this book. Please leave a comment.

I also read this and it was good but for one reason or another I would probably give it 3 out of 4 stars but glad you found it to be 4 stars worthy. Great review.

dtb wrote: ↑12 May 2018, 11:12 I'd love to hear what you think of my review or this book. Please leave a comment.

Yes, I would have loved to hear if you had any constructive criticism for the author...was the story really perfect? Was there anything that you didn't like or thought could be better? I remember now, the story seemed like it went off topic for a while and I would have liked a different ending actually.

This is the perfect book to try the alternate ending concept actually. Like, hey, If you want ending 2 read this chapter but if you don't want to end it like that then it's cool.

Jaime Lync wrote: ↑26 May 2018, 00:56

dtb wrote: ↑12 May 2018, 11:12 I'd love to hear what you think of my review or this book. Please leave a comment.

Yes, I would have loved to hear if you had any constructive criticism for the author...was the story really perfect? Was there anything that you didn't like or thought could be better? I remember now, the story seemed like it went off topic for a while and I would have liked a different ending actually.

This is the perfect book to try the alternate ending concept actually. Like, hey, If you want ending 2 read this chapter but if you don't want to end it like that then it's cool.

It would be a fun "choose your own adventure" style book. You are right. If you want to go on a camping trip with a sullen teenager, turn to page 15. Ha!

I did love it. I especially liked the Strong Heart story line from the distant past. It was so surprising and suspenseful that I was reading quickly. I didn't want that part to,end.

Thank you for your well-written and insightful review. I like the way you captured the suspense and surprises at the start of the book. I agree that the maps indeed aided visualisations of where the story's events took place and to make sense of the details described to substantiate the link between Strong Heart's journey and proposed human migration theories. I think a lot of readers share our love for this book and we should be happier to know that there's a volume 2 already, and the author has started his work on volume 3. Cheers.