Review by kimoy13 -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
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Kimoy Thomas-Williams
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Review by kimoy13 -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon is a beautifully written, coming of age novel. As the title suggests, it is a book which also features the strength and courage of its main characters. The language used by Sheldon is very artistic and relies heavily on literary devices which bring the story to life. Indeed, the weather is often seen to imitate or reflect the feelings of his main characters.
In the very first chapter, the reader is introduced to the heroine, Sarah. Sarah is around 13 years old and described as being very small and thin. As the plot unfolds, she is portrayed as a pseudo-orphan with her step-father having sent her away to stay with her maternal grandmother, a woman that she has never met before. She is then taken by her grandmother to stay with her maternal grandfather. Granddaughter and grandfather are complete strangers.
Sarah is depicted as being rude, unfriendly and introverted. This is most likely due to the life she has led up to the present time. She has experienced a lot of hardships and instability in her young life. Quite frankly she is a girl who feels lost and abandoned.
The new relationship between Sarah and her grandfather is explored and the reader sees how the nature of this relationship changes over time. Initially, these two individuals are suspicious of each other and distant. Nevertheless, through shared obstacles, they become more trustful of each other.
Most of this story takes place amongst nature. Nature lovers will thoroughly enjoy Sheldon's crisp details of the mountains, rivers and trees encountered by his characters on their many adventures. These persons are often seen hiking, camping and braving the forceful elements of the weather. The reader also witnesses disputes between a tribal community and the leaders of the townspeople over land and sea rights. This situation adds a historical and educational dimension to the story.
Sheldon is so thorough in his writing that he even takes the reader back to the days of the First People. Sarah is seen to have a vivid dream which exposes her grandfather, his friends and the reader, to the daily activities of these people. Images of canoes, wild animals and tribal practices are all so clearly described that the reader feels as though he is in the midst of it all.
As the novel progresses, the scenes switch between reality and what is most likely a dream with these First People. This is one of the many themes highlighted in this novel. The impact that one's dreams can have on one's reality is depicted. For example, Sarah is seen to have expertise in a particular set of skills although her only training is what she has in her dream.
Other themes explored are the conflict between adolescents and their guardians, the strength and importance of family, loyalty, betrayal and respect for traditions. The reader will also be pleased to see a number of the main characters developing and improving either mentally or emotionally as the story unfolds.
I will happily recommend this book to persons of all ages as there is no profanity or sexual content to be found in the story. It is also very uplifting and family-oriented. Persons of all religions or no religion will also enjoy reading it.
There are a few grammatical errors but these do not take away from the essence of the story. Nevertheless, I will still rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars. This is so as towards the end of the novel, Sheldon spends a very long time discussing maps and directions at sea which confused me. This factor I disliked the most in this novel. In my view, such a long dissertation on this topic was not needed. In reality, it can cause a reader with little or no geographical or navigational experience, such as myself, to feel lost and frustrated. Without those pages, this book would have been a flawless read.
I like the fact that the story ends on a positive note. The characters are seen to have overcome their obstacles and Sarah and her grandfather have developed an impenetrable bond. Sheldon does a really good job with this story.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon is a beautifully written, coming of age novel. As the title suggests, it is a book which also features the strength and courage of its main characters. The language used by Sheldon is very artistic and relies heavily on literary devices which bring the story to life. Indeed, the weather is often seen to imitate or reflect the feelings of his main characters.
In the very first chapter, the reader is introduced to the heroine, Sarah. Sarah is around 13 years old and described as being very small and thin. As the plot unfolds, she is portrayed as a pseudo-orphan with her step-father having sent her away to stay with her maternal grandmother, a woman that she has never met before. She is then taken by her grandmother to stay with her maternal grandfather. Granddaughter and grandfather are complete strangers.
Sarah is depicted as being rude, unfriendly and introverted. This is most likely due to the life she has led up to the present time. She has experienced a lot of hardships and instability in her young life. Quite frankly she is a girl who feels lost and abandoned.
The new relationship between Sarah and her grandfather is explored and the reader sees how the nature of this relationship changes over time. Initially, these two individuals are suspicious of each other and distant. Nevertheless, through shared obstacles, they become more trustful of each other.
Most of this story takes place amongst nature. Nature lovers will thoroughly enjoy Sheldon's crisp details of the mountains, rivers and trees encountered by his characters on their many adventures. These persons are often seen hiking, camping and braving the forceful elements of the weather. The reader also witnesses disputes between a tribal community and the leaders of the townspeople over land and sea rights. This situation adds a historical and educational dimension to the story.
Sheldon is so thorough in his writing that he even takes the reader back to the days of the First People. Sarah is seen to have a vivid dream which exposes her grandfather, his friends and the reader, to the daily activities of these people. Images of canoes, wild animals and tribal practices are all so clearly described that the reader feels as though he is in the midst of it all.
As the novel progresses, the scenes switch between reality and what is most likely a dream with these First People. This is one of the many themes highlighted in this novel. The impact that one's dreams can have on one's reality is depicted. For example, Sarah is seen to have expertise in a particular set of skills although her only training is what she has in her dream.
Other themes explored are the conflict between adolescents and their guardians, the strength and importance of family, loyalty, betrayal and respect for traditions. The reader will also be pleased to see a number of the main characters developing and improving either mentally or emotionally as the story unfolds.
I will happily recommend this book to persons of all ages as there is no profanity or sexual content to be found in the story. It is also very uplifting and family-oriented. Persons of all religions or no religion will also enjoy reading it.
There are a few grammatical errors but these do not take away from the essence of the story. Nevertheless, I will still rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars. This is so as towards the end of the novel, Sheldon spends a very long time discussing maps and directions at sea which confused me. This factor I disliked the most in this novel. In my view, such a long dissertation on this topic was not needed. In reality, it can cause a reader with little or no geographical or navigational experience, such as myself, to feel lost and frustrated. Without those pages, this book would have been a flawless read.
I like the fact that the story ends on a positive note. The characters are seen to have overcome their obstacles and Sarah and her grandfather have developed an impenetrable bond. Sheldon does a really good job with this story.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
