Review by Leecedar -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
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Review by Leecedar -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
On a stormy night, Tom's ex-wife Ruth shows up at his door. She says to Tom, "This is your granddaughter, Tom. Her name is Sarah. I just found out five days ago. She's been with Fletcher and me for four days. That's enough. It's your turn now." And with those words, Tom, a seventy-year-old man, is plunged back into taking care of a teenager. That is the theme of the opening chapter of Strong Heart, by Charles Sheldon.
Tom, his best friend William, and William's daughter Myra have been packing for a trip into the backwoods of the Olympic National Forest. Myra is Native American and is passionate about their lore. William is just as old as Tom, but has quite a few extra pounds on him. With nobody else able to care for Sarah, the three of them decide to bring her along. The hike will bring insights to all four of them and will reveal to us another story from tens of thousands of years ago.
I devoured Strong Heart, and I think you will as well. Sheldon's writing is engaging, and his story line is compelling, keeping the reader's eyes glued to the page. I found myself hungering for the next page even before I had finished the one I was currently reading. He makes the reader feel as though he or she is experiencing the story, rather than just reading about it. His familiarity with hiking and with Native American lore is evident. The "about the author" section states that Sheldon began research for Strong Heart in 2010, and the copyright for it is 2017. That means that Sheldon spent five or more years researching and writing this novel. The fruits of his labor are apparent. I could envision every scene, every person, and every creature as he wove this fantastic tale. When some of his terms or references caught my attention (such as the short-faced bear), I looked them up. The information I found demonstrated the depth of his research and enriched the story as well.
Sheldon's process of weaving the two stories (one from the present and one from the past) was fascinating. That fed the sci-fi/fantasy part of my desire. The delving into the characters' backgrounds, attitudes, and feelings, and how those changed through the book, fed my yearning for character development.
By the time I reached the end of the story, Sheldon had satisfied me. His writing was terrific. The story had me engaged from start to finish. I didn't particularly care for the ending, though. Leaving some details unresolved is a style that many authors use, but I prefer it when all the loose ends are nicely tied up.
There is no profanity in this book, nor are there any erotic scenes. Therefore, I recommend this book for all ages. For people who love nature, flights of fancy and deep character development, Strong Heart is for you. I give it four out of four stars.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
On a stormy night, Tom's ex-wife Ruth shows up at his door. She says to Tom, "This is your granddaughter, Tom. Her name is Sarah. I just found out five days ago. She's been with Fletcher and me for four days. That's enough. It's your turn now." And with those words, Tom, a seventy-year-old man, is plunged back into taking care of a teenager. That is the theme of the opening chapter of Strong Heart, by Charles Sheldon.
Tom, his best friend William, and William's daughter Myra have been packing for a trip into the backwoods of the Olympic National Forest. Myra is Native American and is passionate about their lore. William is just as old as Tom, but has quite a few extra pounds on him. With nobody else able to care for Sarah, the three of them decide to bring her along. The hike will bring insights to all four of them and will reveal to us another story from tens of thousands of years ago.
I devoured Strong Heart, and I think you will as well. Sheldon's writing is engaging, and his story line is compelling, keeping the reader's eyes glued to the page. I found myself hungering for the next page even before I had finished the one I was currently reading. He makes the reader feel as though he or she is experiencing the story, rather than just reading about it. His familiarity with hiking and with Native American lore is evident. The "about the author" section states that Sheldon began research for Strong Heart in 2010, and the copyright for it is 2017. That means that Sheldon spent five or more years researching and writing this novel. The fruits of his labor are apparent. I could envision every scene, every person, and every creature as he wove this fantastic tale. When some of his terms or references caught my attention (such as the short-faced bear), I looked them up. The information I found demonstrated the depth of his research and enriched the story as well.
Sheldon's process of weaving the two stories (one from the present and one from the past) was fascinating. That fed the sci-fi/fantasy part of my desire. The delving into the characters' backgrounds, attitudes, and feelings, and how those changed through the book, fed my yearning for character development.
By the time I reached the end of the story, Sheldon had satisfied me. His writing was terrific. The story had me engaged from start to finish. I didn't particularly care for the ending, though. Leaving some details unresolved is a style that many authors use, but I prefer it when all the loose ends are nicely tied up.
There is no profanity in this book, nor are there any erotic scenes. Therefore, I recommend this book for all ages. For people who love nature, flights of fancy and deep character development, Strong Heart is for you. I give it four out of four stars.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
