Review by AngharadB -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
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AngharadB
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Review by AngharadB -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
4 out of 4 stars
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I loved Strong Heart. This genre defying books was superbly written, held my attention and I give it 4 out of 4 stars.
Tom is planning a journey into the interior and the Olympic National Park to secure his grandfather’s grave. The unexpected arrival of a previously unknown granddaughter, Sarah, changes the character of the trip. Having never even known that his daughter had a child, Tom is confused and bewildered when his ex-wife dumps Sarah on his doorstep, at a loss with what to do with her. On the trip Sarah gets lost; she returns 8 days later with a tale that is much longer, impossible, but knowing things that just can’t be explained.
Part coming of age, part fantasy, part anthropological explanation, part heart warming family reunion, this story doesn’t confirm to any one genre. Sometimes that’s a problem but in this tale, it just feels like there is something for everyone. The contrast between the first journey and Sarah’s tale is marked but flows so well that the reader just doesn’t question the difference. The end of Sarah’s tale feels like a spell has been broken and we’re left with so many unanswered questions. The second journey deepens the character’s growth and we know that whatever has been lost, a long lasting and affectionate relationship has been found.
I particularly liked that some obvious cliches were avoided, so for instance, Sarah and Tom’s relationship doesn’t have a straightforward trajectory where everything is plain sailing. Sarah’s relationship with everyone seems complicated yet we get to see great personal growth and I especially enjoyed her relationship with Myra, Tom’s friend’s daughter.
It was thought provoking and has encouraged me to look up research on human migration that I would never have looked at before. There were a few interesting theories and aspects I found fascinating like the short faced bear (turn to the back to see a picture of the author with a statue of one. It is HUGE.) I never even knew they existed. Thinking about how our world has changed since they did was really fascinating.
Superbly written, with flawed yet likeable main characters, I devoured this book in a couple of readings. It was easy to read, but made me think. I’d judge this to be a great holiday read, something where you can just get stuck into the story and enjoy being able to read it over a few days. I genuinely loved every moment of this book and I cannot wait to read more from the same author.
******
Strong Heart
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4 out of 4 stars
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I loved Strong Heart. This genre defying books was superbly written, held my attention and I give it 4 out of 4 stars.
Tom is planning a journey into the interior and the Olympic National Park to secure his grandfather’s grave. The unexpected arrival of a previously unknown granddaughter, Sarah, changes the character of the trip. Having never even known that his daughter had a child, Tom is confused and bewildered when his ex-wife dumps Sarah on his doorstep, at a loss with what to do with her. On the trip Sarah gets lost; she returns 8 days later with a tale that is much longer, impossible, but knowing things that just can’t be explained.
Part coming of age, part fantasy, part anthropological explanation, part heart warming family reunion, this story doesn’t confirm to any one genre. Sometimes that’s a problem but in this tale, it just feels like there is something for everyone. The contrast between the first journey and Sarah’s tale is marked but flows so well that the reader just doesn’t question the difference. The end of Sarah’s tale feels like a spell has been broken and we’re left with so many unanswered questions. The second journey deepens the character’s growth and we know that whatever has been lost, a long lasting and affectionate relationship has been found.
I particularly liked that some obvious cliches were avoided, so for instance, Sarah and Tom’s relationship doesn’t have a straightforward trajectory where everything is plain sailing. Sarah’s relationship with everyone seems complicated yet we get to see great personal growth and I especially enjoyed her relationship with Myra, Tom’s friend’s daughter.
It was thought provoking and has encouraged me to look up research on human migration that I would never have looked at before. There were a few interesting theories and aspects I found fascinating like the short faced bear (turn to the back to see a picture of the author with a statue of one. It is HUGE.) I never even knew they existed. Thinking about how our world has changed since they did was really fascinating.
Superbly written, with flawed yet likeable main characters, I devoured this book in a couple of readings. It was easy to read, but made me think. I’d judge this to be a great holiday read, something where you can just get stuck into the story and enjoy being able to read it over a few days. I genuinely loved every moment of this book and I cannot wait to read more from the same author.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like AngharadB's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Concealment by Rose Edmunds
