Review by Julie Green -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon

Julie Green · Post by **Julie Green** » 17 Jun 2018, 16:44

[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Legends and theories of the origins of modern humans in the Pacific Northwest is not a topic that would naturally appeal to me. I was very glad, therefore, when Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon found its way onto my bookshelves. The story opens as Sarah lands on the doorstep of her grandfather, Tom, having been abandoned by the rest of her family. Tom is about to set off on a long trek to visit the grave of his own grandfather. Despite severe misgivings, Tom decides that Sarah will join the trip, along with his friend William, and William's daughter, Myra. Sarah herself is not happy with the prospect of a camping trip with a grandfather she does not know.

Sarah is a troubled teenager and emotions run high as the group set off on the trek. There is a sense that the trek will offer an opportunity for Tom and Sarah to build a relationship. However, this looks less likely after Tom appears not to believe Sarah when she claims to have seen a giant bear, of a kind now extinct. As moods worsen, Sarah runs off, precipitating a major search and rescue operation. Tom does not give up hope and Sarah reappears one night during a storm.

It is at this point that the world of legend collides with reality as Sarah tells a tale of her experiences whilst she was missing. Sarah describes a journey taken during a time before records began. The descriptions are evocative, colourful and vivid; Sarah conjures up images of seas alive with ice bears and talks of the sea of grass where deer and elk graze. The tale that Sarah tells offers clues to when modern humans first occupied the park, a question of some significance as it impacts the value of mining interests in the parkland.

This story is a slow burn. The action itself is fairly limited with most of the book revolving around a trek. The tale told by Sarah adds a new dimension but is a little inaccessible to follow. It is for this reason that I rated this book 3 out of 4 stars.

The characters are well-developed and credible. The gradual development of Tom's relationship with his granddaughter is also well told; it doesn't happen overnight.

I like the sense of multiple layers in this story. The book can be read simply as the story of a broken teenager building a relationship with her grandfather. Equally, the story is one of tribal rights to land coming into conflict with commercial mining interests. On a deeper level, it can be read as an exploration of the theories of the beginnings of modern humans.

Beautifully told, the story will appeal to those who are interested in history, tribal legends and mysticism.

******
Strong Heart
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Helen_Combe · Post by **Helen_Combe** » 24 Jun 2018, 06:22

Great review. The mix of history, tribal legends and mysticism sound fascinating.

Julie Green · Post by **Julie Green** » 24 Jun 2018, 08:08

Thanks Helen, it was definitely not a book I would ordinarily choose, but it turned out to be surprisingly interesting.

gen_g · Post by **gen_g** » 26 Jun 2018, 01:09

Thanks for the lovely review! The premise sounds intriguing, and I would like to give this a try if I come across it.

Julie Green · Post by **Julie Green** » 26 Jun 2018, 01:44

Thanks for your comment... much appreciated!

Dusamae · Post by **Dusamae** » 02 Sep 2018, 07:58

Great review. I agree this book was slow but I did enjoy the parts where Sarah was with the other people. I didn't like the fact her grandfather didn't believe her yet they believed in spirits and things, then all of the sudden they did believe her, I would think it was frustrating for Sarah.

Rain18 · Post by **Rain18** » 02 Sep 2018, 10:55

Great review! I agree that the characters are credible - the author did a good job at that. Especially with Sarah and Tom - the generation gap, coupled with the orneryness of both teens and individuals Tom's age, presents quite the exasperating mix.

Julie Green · Post by **Julie Green** » 02 Sep 2018, 16:14

Dusamae wrote: ↑02 Sep 2018, 07:58 Great review. I agree this book was slow but I did enjoy the parts where Sarah was with the other people. I didn't like the fact her grandfather didn't believe her yet they believed in spirits and things, then all of the sudden they did believe her, I would think it was frustrating for Sarah.

Ah yes, very good point! Thanks for commenting.

Julie Green · Post by **Julie Green** » 02 Sep 2018, 16:18

Rain18 wrote: ↑02 Sep 2018, 10:55 Great review! I agree that the characters are credible - the author did a good job at that. Especially with Sarah and Tom - the generation gap, coupled with the orneryness of both teens and individuals Tom's age, presents quite the exasperating mix.

You're right, the generation gap is done well. In fact, I was quite invested in all the characters. Thank you for your comment.

LaurenHaupt · Post by **LaurenHaupt** » 07 Sep 2018, 14:01

I thought the dream was hard to follow. I thought it was too long. I was more interested in the original story. Great review!

Julie Green · Post by **Julie Green** » 07 Sep 2018, 16:07

LaurenHaupt wrote: ↑07 Sep 2018, 14:01 I thought the dream was hard to follow. I thought it was too long. I was more interested in the original story. Great review!

I agree with you - Sarah's story was far too long and I preferred the original story too.