Review by Philly Shanty -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
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Philly Shanty
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Review by Philly Shanty -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon is a story that begins with an awkward introduction of Tom to his granddaughter. His ex-wife brings the kid in claiming she belongs to their daughter who ran away and has now passed away. Tom is preparing to leave for his grandfather's grave in the woods so he takes his granddaughter with him. Together with his friends William and Myra, they head for the woods and soon realize this is no ordinary journey. Sarah is missing for 8 days. They find her and leave the woods but when she recovers, she has the courage to go back in. So much depends on finding and securing an ancient artifact. Finding the artefact would mean saving the land on which Tom's grandfather is buried. It would also mean saving the community from a destructive project. Sarah the clueless 13 year-old who shouldn't have even come into the woods in the first place is transformed into a brave, strong and wise little woman in the "land of magic, legend and history".
A story of strife, history, politics, and a good dose of family drama, Strong Heart also communicates to the reader a deep sense of belonging and the essence of tradition and ancestry. The story is told both in the first and third person. At one time, it is the voice of a distant observer telling us about present events and at other times, we catch a glimpse of the ancient world through Sarah's eyes. We paddle a canoe at the mercy of the weather and have to kill wild animals. The prose is believable. When we have to listen to Sarah tell her story, we hear it as from a 13 year-old. It is not forced. The switch between the two voices is very unlikely to cause confusion as the reader can go chapters without the other voice interrupting. The story within a story trick really works well here. The same elegant style is used in the easy switch between visions or dreams and reality. In the ancient world, people are struggling to come across food but they are also eager to have power and are willing let others die. In the present, people are so greedy for money and power that they are willing to fire guns.
The author did a great job in infusing some mystique in the story. The suspense was great. There's not a boring moment with this book and you may actually learn a great deal of interesting facts. In the book, Charlie Sheldon describes events that happened thousands of years ago quite naturally. The characters are also well-developed and become people we know and live with everyday. The author must have a strong heart, being able to piece this marvelous work together. You can see the great amount of effort he put into writing this book.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because of the exceptional editing. I enjoyed every bit of it without having to pause and figure out what he was trying to say. I can't possibly give a 3 for such an excellent job.
I cannot think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book although some people are bound to enjoy it better than others. History lovers and those interested in learning anything about camping in the woods or adventure will find this a thrill. Lovers of science fiction should also have a fairly great time here.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon is a story that begins with an awkward introduction of Tom to his granddaughter. His ex-wife brings the kid in claiming she belongs to their daughter who ran away and has now passed away. Tom is preparing to leave for his grandfather's grave in the woods so he takes his granddaughter with him. Together with his friends William and Myra, they head for the woods and soon realize this is no ordinary journey. Sarah is missing for 8 days. They find her and leave the woods but when she recovers, she has the courage to go back in. So much depends on finding and securing an ancient artifact. Finding the artefact would mean saving the land on which Tom's grandfather is buried. It would also mean saving the community from a destructive project. Sarah the clueless 13 year-old who shouldn't have even come into the woods in the first place is transformed into a brave, strong and wise little woman in the "land of magic, legend and history".
A story of strife, history, politics, and a good dose of family drama, Strong Heart also communicates to the reader a deep sense of belonging and the essence of tradition and ancestry. The story is told both in the first and third person. At one time, it is the voice of a distant observer telling us about present events and at other times, we catch a glimpse of the ancient world through Sarah's eyes. We paddle a canoe at the mercy of the weather and have to kill wild animals. The prose is believable. When we have to listen to Sarah tell her story, we hear it as from a 13 year-old. It is not forced. The switch between the two voices is very unlikely to cause confusion as the reader can go chapters without the other voice interrupting. The story within a story trick really works well here. The same elegant style is used in the easy switch between visions or dreams and reality. In the ancient world, people are struggling to come across food but they are also eager to have power and are willing let others die. In the present, people are so greedy for money and power that they are willing to fire guns.
The author did a great job in infusing some mystique in the story. The suspense was great. There's not a boring moment with this book and you may actually learn a great deal of interesting facts. In the book, Charlie Sheldon describes events that happened thousands of years ago quite naturally. The characters are also well-developed and become people we know and live with everyday. The author must have a strong heart, being able to piece this marvelous work together. You can see the great amount of effort he put into writing this book.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because of the exceptional editing. I enjoyed every bit of it without having to pause and figure out what he was trying to say. I can't possibly give a 3 for such an excellent job.
I cannot think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book although some people are bound to enjoy it better than others. History lovers and those interested in learning anything about camping in the woods or adventure will find this a thrill. Lovers of science fiction should also have a fairly great time here.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman
