4 out of 4 stars
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Strong Heart is a novel by Charlie Sheldon which refuses to be pigeonholed into one category so I will just call it literary fiction. I give the book four out of four stars.
Strong Heart tells the story of Tom Olsen and his granddaughter Sarah Cooley. It is a coming of age story which includes family drama, suspense, native American mysticism, time travel (or past life regression), adventure, the list goes on and on. There are multiple story lines throughout the book but I had no problem jumping between them and understanding how they interrelate. The book held my attention from the beginning and I had a hard time putting it down at times.
Tom Olsen, his friend William and William's daughter are getting ready to go into Washington States Olympic Peninsula's forest to tend his grandfather's grave when he answers a knock on his door. He finds young teen Sarah there and she announces she is his granddaughter. Shocked by this news Tom invites her in and the story takes off. Sarah is a troubled teen who has been left behind by her step father and thrown out by her grandmother (Tom's ex-wife.) Sarah's mother had run away when she was 15 and neither Tom or his ex-wife knew Sarah existed. When Sarah's mother died her step father cared for her and didn't inform the family she existed. When Sarah's behavior became too much for him he left the country and sent her to her grandmother. Tom is Sarah's last hope for a loving home. She knows if this fails she will end up in foster care.
Tom's friends suggest they take Sarah with them on their trip into the wilds of Washington. During this trip Sarah grows and learns quite a few life lessons about character, responsibility and familial love. When Sarah disappears in the wild for 8 days she has an incredible mystic adventure that tells a second story within the book. When she returns Tom isn't sure if he believes her story but William encourages him to open his mind to the possibility.
Mr. Sheldon created well formed likable characters that propel the story forward and keep you interested. I found myself cheering Sarah on and wanting the best for her. Even though she is really difficult in the beginning of the book I had the sense there were reasons for her attitude and behavior. It was wonderful to see her relationship with her grandfather grow. A close bond and respect are the result of their time spent in the wild. Tom becomes the one person Sarah knows she can trust and depend on.
The only problem I found with the book was my confusion and lack of understanding about some of the ancient technical information. I still don't really understand the darts and their thrower but it isn't important enough to impact my opinion of the book. There is so much going on in this story it's insignificant.
I would highly recommend this book to any reader. I think teens and young adults would especially like this book because of the subject matter, interesting story line and the quick pace of it. There are life lessons to be learned by all within the pages. The biggest lesson is to respect and listen to those not of your generation because they may be able to teach you something. That's a truth that seems to be lost in today's society.
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Strong Heart
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