Review by m_fung -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
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- Latest Review: "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon
Review by m_fung -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon

3 out of 4 stars
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Review: Strong Heart by Charles Sheldon
Charles Sheldon pens a tale of family, history and memory in Strong Heart. Tom planned to check on his grandfather’s grave with his friend William, and William’s daughter Myra; not have his unknown grand-daughter dumped on his doorstep. Sarah, sullen and snappish, was made to follow the adults on their trip. None of them expected to get dragged into a dispute over the peninsula, and even less prepared for Sarah to go missing. Only when Sarah reappears, bewildered and insistent of a world where people travelled in skinned boats, and were named after their strongest characteristic, did they realize that the land of magic, history and legend may be more real than they thought.
Strong Heart strong reflects the author’s interest in tribal legends and migratory movement of the earlier people. Not only is the book a lush history lesson – or, discussion – it nods to how history passes down from generation to generation, through witness and oral communication. Through Tom’s relationship with his grandfather, and his subsequent relationship with his granddaughter, we see how history isn’t linear but circular. Where the elders pass on their forefathers’ stories as legends, it is the young’s curiosity and openness that allow legends to become history. The book is aptly named, as all the characters found themselves owning up to some uncomfortable truths, only to pull through stronger, at the end.
Undeniably, Strong Heart is a narrative on unity, the slow coming together of a familial bond amid a strange, almost fantastical realm. What I particularly liked is how Sarah, Tom, and their friends grew into the feeling of solidarity without any explicit acknowledgment of it. Even when the adults weren’t sure to believe in Sarah’s tale, they stood by her. On the more technical side of things, the alternating perspectives between a present time, omniscient narrator and Sarah’s isolated, first-person narration was also well balanced.
However, while the dialogue between characters served its function well – to provide us with historical context and to make clear the different dogmas at hand—its purpose of exposition was all too obvious.
But that is a matter of personal preference as well, since I prefer my stories layered with prose.
Overall, I’d rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It might not be the fantastical adventure you have in mind, or the heartwarming family-coming-together story that draws tears from your eyes, but there are definitely lessons to be learnt. For people who prefer heavier prose and a magical journey where everything is beautiful and fantastical, this book probably isn’t for you. For people who find beauty in history, who have always wondered about where they came from, who will take the ugliest experiences and come out strong, you’ll find this a worthwhile read.
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Strong Heart
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