Review of Strong Heart

[StephJaybee]

[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, his buddies William and Myra, and the unexpected youngster dropped off on the doorway star in Charlie Sheldon's adventure novel Strong Heart. As the three prepares for a hiking journey to Tom's grandfather's final burial place, an unplanned interruption in the form of Tom's long-lost granddaughter complicates matters. With trepidation, we decided to bring her along. The group has no idea how difficult their trek will be. Sarah vanishes for eight days before reappearing with an incredible adventure story that the trio finds difficult to believe. After doing some research and gathering evidence to support her tale, Sarah's claims after resurfacing may not be as outlandish as they first appeared. Everything Sarah revealed after reemerging may not be as weird as it sounded to the three after doing some investigating and finding facts to back up her story.

Strong Heart appealed to me because of the adventure of preserving Native American culture as well as Tom and Sarah's emotional excursions between the pages. Tom wants to protect his and other Native American ancestors' ancestral lands on the Olympic Peninsula from government drilling. Finding his grandfather's grave, he believes, will provide the answers he wants. She just wants to find a place and a sense of belonging with someone who would be able to offer her the love she desires and deserves after bouncing about from family member to family member who saw her as nothing more than an annoyance.

Strong Heart had a few flaws that I didn't mind, but they didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. The first flaw is that the discourse between characters could be described as flat, leading to a sense of dullness. The second flaw I have with the book is that it starts off slow for me, but after a chapter or two, the plot gets up.

I would give this book a 4 out of 4 stars. The story is enjoyable while also teaching you, the reader, a few things. You learn about family, relationships, and personal growth as a person trying to figure out who they are, which I believe everyone goes through at some point in their lives. A little Native American history is sprinkled throughout, which is always a fun educational lesson. It is a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good adventure novel, Native American history, and maybe a few archeology lessons thrown in for good measure.

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Strong Heart
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