Review of Strong Heart
-
Rebecca Gregory 1
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 05 Mar 2022, 00:25
- Currently Reading: Totem
- Bookshelf Size: 27
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rebecca-gregory-1.html
- Latest Review: He Goes Out Weeping by David A. Fiensy
- Reading Device: B00I15SB16
Review of Strong Heart
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon begins with Tom, his friend, William, and William’s daughter, Myra packing for a hike through the Olympic National Park in Washington. Suddenly, there is a loud pounding on the front door. On the other side is a woman and child. Unbeknownst to Tom, the child is his granddaughter that he never knew existed. The woman has brought the girl, Sarah, to live with Tom. Sarah already hates being there and describes it as “the end of the earth”. Myra responds by saying it “is a land of magic, history, and legend”.
The story mostly takes place in the Olympic National Park where a mining project has been proposed. The mine originally belonged to Tom’s grandfather, Bob-Bob. This hike was to visit Bob-Bob’s grave and to return an artifact that Bob-Bob had left behind. Now that Sarah had arrived, she went on this trip also. It would be a long hike, lasting several days. At the bottom of the mountain where the hike begins, they meet four surveyors who work for the mining company. These men aren’t very friendly and we know that trouble lurks ahead.
After reaching Bob-Bob’s gravesite, Sarah sees a short face bear. The others doubt that she really saw it because they had been extinct for almost 12,000 years. As they are tending the grave, Sarah marches down the trail and disappears in the trees. She doesn’t return. After a number of days of searching, Sarah suddenly appears from nowhere. She is lying on the ground, filthy, injured, emancipated, and her clothes are torn. A couple of hours later they ask her where she had been. Her story and the events that follow take the reader on a journey full of “magic, history, and legend”, with many twists and turns along the way.
This book had me entranced and I didn’t want to put it down. I often wondered what was coming next. I was able to put myself into the characters’ positions and feelings. This book was also a learning experience for me. I learned a lot about the Sol Duc Tribe – their heritage, customs, history, and way of life. I also learned about the land around Olympic National Park. There were vivid descriptions of the topography, surrounding rivers and mountains, and the terrain. In the front of the book, the author provides maps of the park and of the surrounding ocean and seas. I learned facts about ice ages. I learned different methods for dating artifacts. I learned the behavior of the ocean and what it would be like to travel across it in a large canoe. It is obvious that the author, Charlie Sheldon, did extensive research before writing this book. Perhaps he even spent time hiking the Olympic National Park and sailed across the Pacific Ocean himself. Because of this intensive research, I wondered if Strong Heart might be based in part on a true event. There is a sequel to this book and I look forward to reading it as well.
I have no negative comments about this book. It had some minor profanity but it was used to make the story more realistic because the characters would have spoken that way. The editor also did an excellent job. I didn’t find a single grammatical error or typo.
I recommend this book for anyone interested in Native American history and lives. Those who enjoy hearing about “magic, history, and legend” will enjoy it as well. Because of the minor profanity, I feel that readers should be at least young adults.
I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon begins with Tom, his friend, William, and William’s daughter, Myra packing for a hike through the Olympic National Park in Washington. Suddenly, there is a loud pounding on the front door. On the other side is a woman and child. Unbeknownst to Tom, the child is his granddaughter that he never knew existed. The woman has brought the girl, Sarah, to live with Tom. Sarah already hates being there and describes it as “the end of the earth”. Myra responds by saying it “is a land of magic, history, and legend”.
The story mostly takes place in the Olympic National Park where a mining project has been proposed. The mine originally belonged to Tom’s grandfather, Bob-Bob. This hike was to visit Bob-Bob’s grave and to return an artifact that Bob-Bob had left behind. Now that Sarah had arrived, she went on this trip also. It would be a long hike, lasting several days. At the bottom of the mountain where the hike begins, they meet four surveyors who work for the mining company. These men aren’t very friendly and we know that trouble lurks ahead.
After reaching Bob-Bob’s gravesite, Sarah sees a short face bear. The others doubt that she really saw it because they had been extinct for almost 12,000 years. As they are tending the grave, Sarah marches down the trail and disappears in the trees. She doesn’t return. After a number of days of searching, Sarah suddenly appears from nowhere. She is lying on the ground, filthy, injured, emancipated, and her clothes are torn. A couple of hours later they ask her where she had been. Her story and the events that follow take the reader on a journey full of “magic, history, and legend”, with many twists and turns along the way.
This book had me entranced and I didn’t want to put it down. I often wondered what was coming next. I was able to put myself into the characters’ positions and feelings. This book was also a learning experience for me. I learned a lot about the Sol Duc Tribe – their heritage, customs, history, and way of life. I also learned about the land around Olympic National Park. There were vivid descriptions of the topography, surrounding rivers and mountains, and the terrain. In the front of the book, the author provides maps of the park and of the surrounding ocean and seas. I learned facts about ice ages. I learned different methods for dating artifacts. I learned the behavior of the ocean and what it would be like to travel across it in a large canoe. It is obvious that the author, Charlie Sheldon, did extensive research before writing this book. Perhaps he even spent time hiking the Olympic National Park and sailed across the Pacific Ocean himself. Because of this intensive research, I wondered if Strong Heart might be based in part on a true event. There is a sequel to this book and I look forward to reading it as well.
I have no negative comments about this book. It had some minor profanity but it was used to make the story more realistic because the characters would have spoken that way. The editor also did an excellent job. I didn’t find a single grammatical error or typo.
I recommend this book for anyone interested in Native American history and lives. Those who enjoy hearing about “magic, history, and legend” will enjoy it as well. Because of the minor profanity, I feel that readers should be at least young adults.
I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: He Goes Out Weeping by David A. Fiensy
