Review by tmrobinson17 -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
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tmrobinson17
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Review by tmrobinson17 -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon opens with drama and suspense, during a thunderstorm. As Tom and his Native American friends, William and Myra are packing for their journey into Olympic National Park. An unexpected knock on the door reveals Tom’s ex-wife and a young child, who is revealed as Sarah, Tom’s granddaughter. Tom now must decide to continue with his trip to his grandfather’s grave or cancel it due to the new development. William convinces Tom to take Sarah with them, hoping it could teach her something. Little did any of them know, that Sarah would be doing the teaching on this trip.
After a long, grueling trip, they arrive at Tom’s grandfather’s grave and get it fixed up by covering it with stones. Tom, then shows the group an atlatl (an ancient dart thrower) that he had found with his grandfather. He plans to leave it at the grave, but when he upsets Sarah, she disappears and so does the atlatl. Sarah appears eight days later in the midst of another thunderstorm, but something is not right. She is not acting like herself, and her explanation as to where she was, leaves everyone with more questions than answers.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and the way Sheldon incorporates Native American culture, ideas, and arguments into it. The way Sheldon combines legends with facts in this novel is something to be admired, as there are not many people who would consider the Native legends to have any truth to them. For this reason, I love this book. Incorporating the legends into the story, as well as some science gives this book a realistic sense to it yet still magical.
There are several maps included at the beginning of the book that at first did not make sense to me. As Sarah unveils her story, their purpose becomes much clearer. Not only do they set the scene for the main story, but they connect the arguments made throughout the story about the origin of Native Americans as well as Sarah’s journey. However, without much context at the beginning, the maps can be confusing but that is a minor issue.
This book does an excellent job of showing multiple characters in their own unique stories, while not digressing from the main story. Strong Heart is a combination of a coming-of-age story and several hero’s journey stories. The combination of these points of views and developments keeps readers invested in the book. While Sarah’s journey was perhaps the most compelling within the book, I also thoroughly enjoyed the changes that Tom went through as he struggled to cope with having a grandchild and being criticized by his enemies.
I rate Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon 4 out of 4 stars, as it is well-written and keeps the reader wanting more. Sheldon not only incorporated Native American cultures and beliefs into this story, but he highlighted them and instead made them the central theme to the book, which I loved. Each character suffers unique set-backs and developments making them more relatable and the book harder to put down. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fiction book, but also anyone interested in Native American legends. I hope that Sheldon considers making a sequel to this book because while the ending tied things up nicely, I feel there is still more story to be told. When a book leaves you wanting more, that is how you know it is a good one.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon opens with drama and suspense, during a thunderstorm. As Tom and his Native American friends, William and Myra are packing for their journey into Olympic National Park. An unexpected knock on the door reveals Tom’s ex-wife and a young child, who is revealed as Sarah, Tom’s granddaughter. Tom now must decide to continue with his trip to his grandfather’s grave or cancel it due to the new development. William convinces Tom to take Sarah with them, hoping it could teach her something. Little did any of them know, that Sarah would be doing the teaching on this trip.
After a long, grueling trip, they arrive at Tom’s grandfather’s grave and get it fixed up by covering it with stones. Tom, then shows the group an atlatl (an ancient dart thrower) that he had found with his grandfather. He plans to leave it at the grave, but when he upsets Sarah, she disappears and so does the atlatl. Sarah appears eight days later in the midst of another thunderstorm, but something is not right. She is not acting like herself, and her explanation as to where she was, leaves everyone with more questions than answers.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and the way Sheldon incorporates Native American culture, ideas, and arguments into it. The way Sheldon combines legends with facts in this novel is something to be admired, as there are not many people who would consider the Native legends to have any truth to them. For this reason, I love this book. Incorporating the legends into the story, as well as some science gives this book a realistic sense to it yet still magical.
There are several maps included at the beginning of the book that at first did not make sense to me. As Sarah unveils her story, their purpose becomes much clearer. Not only do they set the scene for the main story, but they connect the arguments made throughout the story about the origin of Native Americans as well as Sarah’s journey. However, without much context at the beginning, the maps can be confusing but that is a minor issue.
This book does an excellent job of showing multiple characters in their own unique stories, while not digressing from the main story. Strong Heart is a combination of a coming-of-age story and several hero’s journey stories. The combination of these points of views and developments keeps readers invested in the book. While Sarah’s journey was perhaps the most compelling within the book, I also thoroughly enjoyed the changes that Tom went through as he struggled to cope with having a grandchild and being criticized by his enemies.
I rate Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon 4 out of 4 stars, as it is well-written and keeps the reader wanting more. Sheldon not only incorporated Native American cultures and beliefs into this story, but he highlighted them and instead made them the central theme to the book, which I loved. Each character suffers unique set-backs and developments making them more relatable and the book harder to put down. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fiction book, but also anyone interested in Native American legends. I hope that Sheldon considers making a sequel to this book because while the ending tied things up nicely, I feel there is still more story to be told. When a book leaves you wanting more, that is how you know it is a good one.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: East Wind, 2nd edition by Jack Winnick
