Review by DorcasToo -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon

[DorcasToo]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon is a beautiful fictional novel set in Seattle. He tries proving his theory that humans arrived in North America in the most recent ice age: 12 to 15 years ago. Therefore, Strong Heart is not just a story but a suggestion of what might have happened many years ago.

When Sarah appears on Tom's doorstep one day with her grandmother, Tom's ex-wife, it's not just a shock to him but disbelief that his late daughter had a child. He's not ecstatic but rather worried as he's planning to go visit his grandfather, Bob-bob and he's not feeling like taking Sarah along on this journey. However, with the help of his friend, William and the daughter Myra, he takes on this task and he regrets within a day of hiking, at the park. As they set out, to return the atlatl and ensure Bob-bob is well rested; the Buckhorn people are also on the trail to survey their claim in the park. This causes a conflict of interest between the two parties; as one is rallying for the preservation of the park yet, the other wants to mine hence destroy the park.

So, when Sarah mysteriously disappears while still on this expedition, it's not just her safety that everyone's worried about, but how she survives as they lose hope. The rescue team comes in but after a few days the search is called off, despite this William, Tom, and Myra continue looking. They keep praying for her to come back safely, yet, deep inside they are worried that all they will have is a body to bury besides Bob-bob.

Charlie has written an engaging and very captivating book. This is the first book in the series and I have already read the second book Adrift. At this point, he sets the basis for the series as we get to first meet the characters and understand more about the culture we encounter later on. As usual, I wasn't disappointed as I read this book. The depth and emotion displayed just kept me turning the pages. The book is centered around Myra and the fact that even if she did not grow up in Seattle, she's still connected to her roots. The author employs strong feminine characters even during the storytelling part and that is a plus.

The writing style the author uses is epic. The language is simple yet, not boring that you would want to dismiss it. There's nothing not to like in this book and am glad I decided to read it. The timelines are okay with no collision that could create confusion. The transition from one scene to the other is perfect. For example, when Sarah is telling her story, when she's done we can easily know she is. The suspense is amazing, and I think this is the strong point the author utilized. You can clearly tell that a lot of research went into this work from the exact timeline of the ice age, the land descriptions, and even the sea and land vocabulary used.

I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. Despite the one error that I found generally, the book is well-written. I would recommend it to all lovers of mysterious fiction novels. In addition, those who enjoy sea tales will feel at home.

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Strong Heart
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[kdstrack]

Lovely review! I also have read both books and enjoy this author's writing style. His writing does evoke the reader's emotions. I enjoyed your comments on this book.