Review of Strong Heart

[Burnette Pitter]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Tom, Myra, and William were arranging a trip to visit a deceased ancestor's grave who had not made it back from their last trip up north. They were surprised when Tom's ex-wife, Ruth, paid them a visit and presented him with an unexpected visitor, Sarah. Sarah was just as unhappy as her relatives at being thrown into a sea of strangers with whom she had no ties. Sarah was supposed to be Tom's granddaughter from a deceased daughter. She was a troubled teenager. In his book, Strong Heart, Mr. Charlie Sheldon demonstrates how Sarah, despite her circumstances, had a strong will that made her an advantage rather than the problem they thought she would be.

One feature of this book that I liked was how vivid the author's imagination was. Sarah's encounter with a strange group of Asian people, whom she met when she wandered off from her relatives and was picked up by these people, exemplified this. She eventually became a part of them. They were the ones who gave her the name "strong heart" because she was different from them. Any reader may visualize what these individuals looked like in their minds' eyes after reading Sarah's vivid account of her connection with this particular tribe of people and her becoming a part of their culture.

It was scary to see how they battled forces of nature like ice-cold rivers, ice mountains, and savage hungry animals that murdered some of them along the route. Sarah's perseverance displays her bravery and makes her deserving of the name she was given. For me, this was the most engrossing part of the book. The author's descriptive language brought the book to life and made it enjoyable to read.

It was also inspiring to see how family members banded together to defend their loved ones. Sarah's bravery was the driving force behind their efforts to rescue the national park, which was threatened with destruction and development by the wealthy and powerful, who were willing to kill to get their way.

There was nothing that I disliked about this book. I found no errors, so I can safely say it was very well edited. I would give it a four out of four stars rating.

This is the book for someone wanting an adventure with a dash of drama and a history lesson on ancestral ghosts and artifacts. The way it ended leaves the idea that there will be a sequel, and I eagerly await the conclusion of the story.

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Strong Heart
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