Review by raharding -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon

[raharding]

[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 book that weaves ancient history into current events. It gives a possible scenario of how an ancient civilization could have crossed from Kamchatka to North America by boat. Strong Heart is really two stories in one. I enjoyed that about the book.

The two stories are tied together through a 13-year-old girl named Sarah. It is the beginning of a coming-of-age story in which Sarah’s experiences in the ancient world help her cope and survive in the current/real world. The story leaves plenty of room for sequels that could complete Sarah’s coming of age. Her adventures, both past and present, revolve around an ancient artifact known as an atlalt which is a leverage device used to enhance the throwing power and distance of a spear.

Sarah is orphaned and handed off from one relative to another. She ends up with her grandfather, Tom, who didn’t know she existed until she was brought to his doorstep. Not surprisingly, Sarah is obnoxious and stand-offish. She is taken on a strenuous hiking trip into the Olympic National Park with Tom and his two Native American friends. On the journey she learns about her heritage and the history of the Pacific Northwest. In a fit of anger, she runs off and is missing for eight days. But from her perspective, she is gone for months. Existing in the ancient past, Sarah finds herself traveling along the treacherous Bering Strait in a large canoe with a group of people trying to reach their home on the North American continent before the large ice age animals, glaciers, and starvation destroy them.

This is a story that can be enjoyed by preteens and up. There is a hint of possible sexual abuse, but it is handled well and the message is clear that such things are not acceptable. The author, Charlie Sheldon, does an excellent job of presenting and explaining different theories of how the first people came to the American continent. His method of explaining migration theories ties in well with the story and led me to do more research on my own. This, to me, is a sign of a good book.

There are about half a dozen grammatical errors in the book. That is the only thing that bothered me about the book. The story itself is so well written that I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction will enjoy reading Strong Heart.

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Strong Heart
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