Review by Chandler_Greg -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
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Chandler_Greg
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Review by Chandler_Greg -- 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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Sarah, the titular character in Charlie Sheldon's Strong Heart, is a recently orphaned teenager. She has been shipped to Alaska to live with her grandmother, and summarily passed on days later to her grandfather, Tom. She's had no contact with this part of her family. She seems to have no one and no place in the world.
Her grandfather doesn't know what to do with her. He's about to leave on a long trek into the wilderness. He is planning to return an ancient spear thrower, or azatl, to his grandfather's grave. He's hoping to make peace with his ancestors. He reluctantly decides to take Sarah along on the mission.
Sarah has less trouble than expected keeping up and seems to find a strong connection to the land. At one point, she gets off on her own and returns with a sketch she's made of a bear. The bear she's drawn resembles one than roamed these lands in the days of the last ice age. This is the first clue that this is no ordinary coming of age tale.
Angered by her grandfather's gruffness and dismissal, Sarah disappears with the azatl. The others search, call in volunteers to help and refuse to give up when the search is shut down. When Sarah walks back into camp 8 days later, she has an unbelievable tale to tell.
She tells a story of her trip back to the time before the last ice-age. She is captured, sold as a wife, became a part of her captive's people. She travels a long distance along the coast and across the sea in a boat carved out of a tree. She learns to hunt, fish, row and to use an azatl to throw spears.
There are many other layers to this novel. There is a second trip into the wilderness, a race against developers, an escape from wildfires and paid gunmen. At it's heart, however, this is a story about family and about finding your way home. Sarah has found her family and her people and helped restore the connection between her family and their ancestors.
The story combines realistic and fantastic elements in a way that is far from seamless, but intriguing. The author has found an engaging way to combine myth and mystery with contemporary character-based fiction. The characters of Sarah (or Strong Heart as she is named in the myth) and Tom, and the relationship that develops between them, is what drives the story. It's clear from the beginning that they need each other, but it takes the characters awhile to see it.
I would rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars because of its unique structure and the thoughtful combination of myth and contemporary concerns.
******
Strong Heart
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4 out of 4 stars
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Sarah, the titular character in Charlie Sheldon's Strong Heart, is a recently orphaned teenager. She has been shipped to Alaska to live with her grandmother, and summarily passed on days later to her grandfather, Tom. She's had no contact with this part of her family. She seems to have no one and no place in the world.
Her grandfather doesn't know what to do with her. He's about to leave on a long trek into the wilderness. He is planning to return an ancient spear thrower, or azatl, to his grandfather's grave. He's hoping to make peace with his ancestors. He reluctantly decides to take Sarah along on the mission.
Sarah has less trouble than expected keeping up and seems to find a strong connection to the land. At one point, she gets off on her own and returns with a sketch she's made of a bear. The bear she's drawn resembles one than roamed these lands in the days of the last ice age. This is the first clue that this is no ordinary coming of age tale.
Angered by her grandfather's gruffness and dismissal, Sarah disappears with the azatl. The others search, call in volunteers to help and refuse to give up when the search is shut down. When Sarah walks back into camp 8 days later, she has an unbelievable tale to tell.
She tells a story of her trip back to the time before the last ice-age. She is captured, sold as a wife, became a part of her captive's people. She travels a long distance along the coast and across the sea in a boat carved out of a tree. She learns to hunt, fish, row and to use an azatl to throw spears.
There are many other layers to this novel. There is a second trip into the wilderness, a race against developers, an escape from wildfires and paid gunmen. At it's heart, however, this is a story about family and about finding your way home. Sarah has found her family and her people and helped restore the connection between her family and their ancestors.
The story combines realistic and fantastic elements in a way that is far from seamless, but intriguing. The author has found an engaging way to combine myth and mystery with contemporary character-based fiction. The characters of Sarah (or Strong Heart as she is named in the myth) and Tom, and the relationship that develops between them, is what drives the story. It's clear from the beginning that they need each other, but it takes the characters awhile to see it.
I would rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars because of its unique structure and the thoughtful combination of myth and contemporary concerns.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Chandler_Greg's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Skills of the Warramunga by Greg Kater
