Review of Strong Heart

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Mary anna
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Review of Strong Heart

Post by Mary anna »

[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
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5 out of 5 stars
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The reader will likely be surprised by this book. It seems like some old friends and a pair of recently reunited grandparents and granddaughters are having some harmless fun on a vacation in the forest. Nevertheless, it most certainly isn't. From the opening chapter of Charlie Sheldon's Strong Heart, the reader is gripped and dealt a blow.

A knock on the door adds to the adventure as Tom, Myra, and William are getting ready for a much-anticipated camping trip, and it completely turns Tom's life upside down. Ruth, Tom's ex-wife, and Sarah, their granddaughter, of whom he is unaware, arrive. Sarah, who is now an orphan, has been living in several homes and suffers from feeling unloved. Tom adopts the troubled kid, and the two of them decide to bring her along for the trip. Tom is still getting used to the notion that his granddaughter is traveling with them when they first set off, and Sarah is still being her grouchy self. Tom's desperate attempt to unravel his grandfather's secret quickly develops into a series of simultaneous escapades.

They discover far too many things about one another and their relationships on their trek, which Charlie Sheldon has expertly portrayed. The reader is brought along on the adventure by the characters in the novel, and they capture their interest right away. The Pacific Northwest is also described with great depth and beauty by the author. Sarah's tenacity throughout the narrative is admirable. Her tenacity and perseverance are shown in the author's deft language, combined with the type of innocence she would possess as a little girl. For instance, she would refer to the boat's passengers by names like thin hair and beautiful face and point out things that only a little kid would notice.

I think there is much more to each character and their parts in the plot than what the sentences suggest. One of the most satisfying readings is made possible by the dread and gentleness that lie underneath Sarah's obstinate and irritable demeanor, Tom's evident concern for the grandchild he was unaware of, and William and Myra's genuine relationship.

I admired the author's outstanding parallel presentation of the two tales to the audience. The one thing I would change, however, is to have a couple of the story's details presented more simply. The book also had zero editing errors that I discovered, but they had no negative effects on my reading pleasure; therefore, I gave it a 5 out of 5. Get your hands on this book if you're looking for a unique family adventure tale.

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Strong Heart
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