Review by Jbluestocking2 -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
Posted: 10 Jun 2018, 23:05
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
4 out of 4 stars
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As Tom Olsen is preparing for a difficult hike deep into Olympic National Park he receives an unexpected visit from his ex-wife. She deposits Sarah, a rebellious and disgruntled 13 year old on his doorstep; a granddaughter he never even knew existed. Sarah, it seems, has been cast off by her stepfather and now by her grandmother, and is not amenable to any other transitions. Yet Tom's hiking companions, William and his adult daughter Myra, are convinced that a camping trip all together is the best thing for Sarah. It's very difficult at first, but Sarah proves to be more capable then she appears, and this somewhat mysterious venture of attending to Tom's grandfather's grave high in the mountains affects each of the group in different ways.
The mission is to return an ancient spear thrower back to the very place Tom found it amongst his grandfather's things after he died suddenly on top of the mountain. The ornately carved object is very special and could put a date to the first people who came to North America. That knowledge would help Myra in her work with her Sol-Duc tribe on the Peninsula, but would be disastrous to the plans of Tom's employer, as they prepare to mine the region. Stubbornly, Tom wants it to be returned to his grandfather's resting place. To make matters much worse, Sarah disappears from the campsite with the artifact. When she is finally found, her story is incomprehensible, one of mystical proportions and eerily accurate historical fact. She not only seems to know about the culture and movement of long lost tribes but believes to have actually lived as one of them. What really happened to Sarah? How does her disappearance connect to the ancient spear thrower?
Strong Heart begins as a seemingly benign tale of the struggle between young and old, progression and tradition, faith and fact but develops into an exciting adventure. Sarah emerges from an unexpected nuisance to a key player in the events connecting everyone together, both in the present and the past. Her strong heart overcomes the pain of her past and inspires those around her to be strong as well.
While reading this well written story I was surprised by how captivated I became almost immediately. The characters have emotional depth, intelligence and engaging reality to them. The tried and true friendship between Tom and William and Myra was touching and essential to Tom’s difficult situation with Sarah. Sarah’s account of pre-civilization life really adds momentum to the plot and is a fascinating tale on its own. The climactic ending brings all the pieces together.
I'm giving Strong Heart a resounding 4 out of 4 stars. Beautifully edited, it handles layered themes, complicated characters, and varied storylines with confidence. It's easy for me to recommend this to anyone from teen to adult, especially if you enjoy your novels with a healthy dose of history or the supernatural. I wish the ending could have felt a little more complete, with extended details about the various situations in the book, but that's a small flaw compared to the worthiness of reading it. All in all, it's an unassuming little story that packs a surprisingly strong-hearted punch!
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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4 out of 4 stars
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As Tom Olsen is preparing for a difficult hike deep into Olympic National Park he receives an unexpected visit from his ex-wife. She deposits Sarah, a rebellious and disgruntled 13 year old on his doorstep; a granddaughter he never even knew existed. Sarah, it seems, has been cast off by her stepfather and now by her grandmother, and is not amenable to any other transitions. Yet Tom's hiking companions, William and his adult daughter Myra, are convinced that a camping trip all together is the best thing for Sarah. It's very difficult at first, but Sarah proves to be more capable then she appears, and this somewhat mysterious venture of attending to Tom's grandfather's grave high in the mountains affects each of the group in different ways.
The mission is to return an ancient spear thrower back to the very place Tom found it amongst his grandfather's things after he died suddenly on top of the mountain. The ornately carved object is very special and could put a date to the first people who came to North America. That knowledge would help Myra in her work with her Sol-Duc tribe on the Peninsula, but would be disastrous to the plans of Tom's employer, as they prepare to mine the region. Stubbornly, Tom wants it to be returned to his grandfather's resting place. To make matters much worse, Sarah disappears from the campsite with the artifact. When she is finally found, her story is incomprehensible, one of mystical proportions and eerily accurate historical fact. She not only seems to know about the culture and movement of long lost tribes but believes to have actually lived as one of them. What really happened to Sarah? How does her disappearance connect to the ancient spear thrower?
Strong Heart begins as a seemingly benign tale of the struggle between young and old, progression and tradition, faith and fact but develops into an exciting adventure. Sarah emerges from an unexpected nuisance to a key player in the events connecting everyone together, both in the present and the past. Her strong heart overcomes the pain of her past and inspires those around her to be strong as well.
While reading this well written story I was surprised by how captivated I became almost immediately. The characters have emotional depth, intelligence and engaging reality to them. The tried and true friendship between Tom and William and Myra was touching and essential to Tom’s difficult situation with Sarah. Sarah’s account of pre-civilization life really adds momentum to the plot and is a fascinating tale on its own. The climactic ending brings all the pieces together.
I'm giving Strong Heart a resounding 4 out of 4 stars. Beautifully edited, it handles layered themes, complicated characters, and varied storylines with confidence. It's easy for me to recommend this to anyone from teen to adult, especially if you enjoy your novels with a healthy dose of history or the supernatural. I wish the ending could have felt a little more complete, with extended details about the various situations in the book, but that's a small flaw compared to the worthiness of reading it. All in all, it's an unassuming little story that packs a surprisingly strong-hearted punch!
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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