Review by Miercoles -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
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Miercoles
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Review by Miercoles -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
They gave her the name Strong Heart for her strength and tenacity in the face of danger. She is one of several young women captured and traded as brides to the razor stone tribe. They battle stormy seas, freezing temperatures and near starvation on the journey to the razor stone homeland. Along the way Strong Heart fights for her life against wild animals and the treachery of the people around her. Will they reach their destination? What is the meaning of this story? Is it just the wild imaginings of Sarah who goes missing while on a trip into the mountains with her grandfather, Tom? What importance does this story have to Tom’s legacy as he seeks to return a precious artefact to the grave of his own grandfather?
In Strong Heart author Charles Sheldon presents a story within a story, celebrating the oral tradition of the people of the Northern Pacific islands embedded in an intriguing tale of family discovery. The main character, Sarah, is thirteen years old and full of the grit, energy, and defiance of a teenager. She meets Tom for the first time when her grandmother leaves her in his care because she can no longer cope with her. As Tom is about to depart on his trip to his grandfather’s grave, he takes Sarah along with him. Together they discover each other, as well as the history and traditions of their ancestors.
Within the novel there are a series of contrasts. The family story and its search for ancestral roots is set against the backdrop of modern corporate greed as a corporation seeks to acquire mining rights to the conserved lands in Olympic Park. The contrast between modern scientific thought and ancient beliefs is mirrored in the characters of the novel. Tom’s friend William, and his daughter Myra, are native people who respect their tribe and its oral traditions. In contrast, Sergei, a Russian scientist who helps to date the artefact, presents his theories of the world based on physical evidence.
Author Charles Sheldon has worked and travelled extensively within North Pacific region and his immense knowledge of this area is manifested in the detailed descriptions of its geography and how it changes according to the season. I was particularly engaged by the ancient stories presented and the existential questions which were posed in this novel. What happened during the Ice Ages? Did man live during that time? Where did man originate? The story suggests that while evidence indicates that Africa is the cradle of civilization, the oral traditions of the native peoples of the Pacific reveal a different explanation.
Strong Heart has been professionally edited with scarcely any errors noted. It will appeal to a general readership of persons who enjoy tales of discovery, whether of self, location, or history. My only concern in this novel is that I found Sarah’s story to be quite long. However, I got into it and found myself rooting for her as she faced multiple situations of danger. With this exception, there is nothing that I disliked about the novel. I enjoyed the down-to-earth characters, the camaraderie of family and friend relationships, the hint of romance, and the element of danger in the involvement of the corporation. As a result of this great combination, I have no reservation in rating this novel 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
They gave her the name Strong Heart for her strength and tenacity in the face of danger. She is one of several young women captured and traded as brides to the razor stone tribe. They battle stormy seas, freezing temperatures and near starvation on the journey to the razor stone homeland. Along the way Strong Heart fights for her life against wild animals and the treachery of the people around her. Will they reach their destination? What is the meaning of this story? Is it just the wild imaginings of Sarah who goes missing while on a trip into the mountains with her grandfather, Tom? What importance does this story have to Tom’s legacy as he seeks to return a precious artefact to the grave of his own grandfather?
In Strong Heart author Charles Sheldon presents a story within a story, celebrating the oral tradition of the people of the Northern Pacific islands embedded in an intriguing tale of family discovery. The main character, Sarah, is thirteen years old and full of the grit, energy, and defiance of a teenager. She meets Tom for the first time when her grandmother leaves her in his care because she can no longer cope with her. As Tom is about to depart on his trip to his grandfather’s grave, he takes Sarah along with him. Together they discover each other, as well as the history and traditions of their ancestors.
Within the novel there are a series of contrasts. The family story and its search for ancestral roots is set against the backdrop of modern corporate greed as a corporation seeks to acquire mining rights to the conserved lands in Olympic Park. The contrast between modern scientific thought and ancient beliefs is mirrored in the characters of the novel. Tom’s friend William, and his daughter Myra, are native people who respect their tribe and its oral traditions. In contrast, Sergei, a Russian scientist who helps to date the artefact, presents his theories of the world based on physical evidence.
Author Charles Sheldon has worked and travelled extensively within North Pacific region and his immense knowledge of this area is manifested in the detailed descriptions of its geography and how it changes according to the season. I was particularly engaged by the ancient stories presented and the existential questions which were posed in this novel. What happened during the Ice Ages? Did man live during that time? Where did man originate? The story suggests that while evidence indicates that Africa is the cradle of civilization, the oral traditions of the native peoples of the Pacific reveal a different explanation.
Strong Heart has been professionally edited with scarcely any errors noted. It will appeal to a general readership of persons who enjoy tales of discovery, whether of self, location, or history. My only concern in this novel is that I found Sarah’s story to be quite long. However, I got into it and found myself rooting for her as she faced multiple situations of danger. With this exception, there is nothing that I disliked about the novel. I enjoyed the down-to-earth characters, the camaraderie of family and friend relationships, the hint of romance, and the element of danger in the involvement of the corporation. As a result of this great combination, I have no reservation in rating this novel 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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