Review by HeidiS66 -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon

[HeidiS66]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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STRONG HEART

Charlie Sheldon writes Strong Heart as a story within a story. His telling of an ancient Native American legend questions the beginning of life in the Pacific Northwest.

Strong Heart starts off as Tom and his friends, William and Myra, are getting ready for a special trip. Suddenly his 13-year-old granddaughter, Sarah, whom he has never met, arrives on his doorstep. They must then decide if they should cancel their plans or take Sarah with them. Ultimately they decide to include her on their journey.

The detailed descriptions of the path of their travels gives a very picturesque view of the region which the author has called home since the 1990s. The picture is painted so vividly that you can smell the campfires and hear the storms. You are made to feel that you are traveling with them.

The adventure that Sarah takes them on is one that no one expects. After a disagreement with her grandfather, Sarah storms away and goes missing in the great outdoors of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula for eight days. During a bad storm she finds her way back to them with an unexplained story of her whereabouts. There were times when I got a little confused between current life and legend in the beginning but I quickly became absorbed in the storytelling.

The stories, in real time and in legend, both touch upon the historical aspect of the region. Add in the son of William’s friend, Sergei, who is a by-the-book scientist, trained to prove by visible data, and you have a real debate on your hands. Follow Sheldon’s characters as they struggle to separate what is real from what is legend.

Being of Native American heritage, I found this story and its legends very interesting. What I liked most about this book was that fact that it was a real page-turner. Once I got into the story, I had trouble putting it down. With that said, what I disliked most about it was that after the main character introductions there seemed to be slow development of the story until you got into the real adventure. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I noticed a few minor errors but nothing to deter my enjoyment of this intriguing story.

I recommend this book if you are a fan of Native American legends, as well as history, archaeology and the great outdoors. Just remember that with a little magic, history, legend and a great imagination anything is possible.

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Strong Heart
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