4 out of 4 stars
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Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon is a delightful mix of history, folklore and fiction. Charlie Sheldon has done much research on the history of mankind in the Pacific and especially so the Olympic Mountains. He aptly portrays an age old folklore from the perspective of its main character Sarah. She is living in the present but discovers an opening in the Olympic mountains which transitions her into the time period of her forefathers. There she learns to expertly sling an arrow and become very useful in the small community of people with which she interacts. She learns such virtues of love and loyalty as well as the vices of jealousy and hatred.
In her 21st century life Sarah knew only her father and decided to visit and discover her mother's parents. In so doing her grandfather who was preparing to go to the Olympic Mountains invited her to join him and his friends on a quest to honor his grandfather's memory. While she initially appeared to reject their strange ways of operating, she later became very appreciative and accepting of their unique way of living.
The story has many surprising twists and turns. Its factual and historic basis challenges the reader to accept as true the more euphoric elements in the book. The writer effortlessly interwove the folklore in a believable and plausible manner. It was not hard to imagine that several thousands of years before; Sarah's experience was in fact the way of life back then.
Charlie Sheldon also plays greatly on empowering his female character and the other female characters in the book. This is one of the things that was most appealing to me. Sarah, for example was initially stubborn, outspoken and arguably rude. As the story progressed however, she grew into a very mature understanding of the world around her and her true strength of character were formed. She blossomed into a courageous, intelligent and selfless young woman by the end of the book.
I would rate this book as a 4 out of 4 stars. The author exceeded my expectations of the novel and he maintained my complete interest throughout. If I were to discount any aspect of the book it was how long it took to develop the individual aspects of the plot so that they could be brought together as one. Nevertheless, if you enjoy a great historical novel and an inspiring story of strength and survival, Strong Heart will be for you.
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Strong Heart
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