4 out of 4 stars
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Strong Heart is a fascinating novel filled with adventure, mysteries, and drama. Set in the Pacific Northwest, the story is written by Charlie Sheldon and narrated by Laurel Ann White.
Tom and his Native American friends, William and Myra, are packing up for a backpacking adventure through Olympic National Park when an unannounced visitor shows up at the front door. This visitor turns out to be Tom’s unknown granddaughter, Sarah. As Tom reluctantly agrees to take Sarah hiking with him, he has no idea of the struggles that he and his companions will face. When Sarah disappears, Tom is determined to find her. Eight days later, she reappears and tells of an impossible story of what happened when she disappeared. As the other three try to make sense of Sarah’s story, they face even more challenges after they go back home.
This is the first time that I listened to an audiobook, and I was surprised to find myself enjoying it. The narration was well done, but at times it was a bit flat, and it felt a little monotone. I liked the variation of the voices between each character because they were all distinctive. However, I think I still prefer reading books rather than listening to them.
Throughout the book, the descriptions of the scenes including Olympic National Park were vivid, and it was easy to visualize the scenes. The mix between science and legend added a unique twist to the story. Even though the author didn’t provide much background information on the characters, it wasn’t necessary as it wasn’t difficult to keep up with the story.
Most of story is told from William’s point of view, but some of the story was told from Sarah’s point of view. When Sarah recounted her story behind her disappearance, I was a little confused at first and wondered if I had accidentally skipped a part in the story. Her story seemed so bizarre that I had to go back to the beginning of her story to make sure I didn’t miss anything. To me, it seemed like she was gone for months when in reality she was only gone for eight days. It was until later on in the book that I realized the meaning behind her story.
The only thing that I didn’t like about this book was the ending. It seemed abrupt and left a few questions unanswered. However, I think that was a minor detail, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this book to those who like to read adventure stories mixed with Native American legends and archaeology.
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Strong Heart
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