Pam Munoz Ryan
I admit that when I read I get bored quickly. What kept me so intrigued as I read Echo is that it is three different stories in one novel, and we get the stories of three different protagonists. It is also very hard to classify. Is it historical fiction? Fantasy? Fairy Tale?
There is so much in this novel that defies so much, but contains some of the most beautiful writing I have encountered.
The book is 585 pages, but do not let that deter you. When one character's story ends, Pam Munoz Ryan quickly introduces you to a new character, and a new time period in our history.
The writing is also filled with emotion. I dare your heart not to be heavy, and your soul not outraged when some sections end. The novel begins with Otto who receives a magic harmonica, and that instrument ties the three lead characters together: Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California. Friedrich is a young, disfigured boy living in Nazi Germany who is on a quest to find his imprisoned father. Mike, bound to his only family member, his brother, lives during the Great Depression. Ivy is an itinerant farmer's child living in California during World War II, who learns of the injustice done to the Japanese, but also learns the harsh realities of migrant faming.
I can't give away the beautiful way this author ends the story and ties all of the characters together. Read on and treat yourself to a true reading experience!
* "The book’s thematic underpinnings poignantly reveal what Friedrich, Mike, and Ivy truly have in common: not just a love of music, but resourcefulness in the face of change, and a refusal to accept injustice." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
There is so much in this novel that defies so much, but contains some of the most beautiful writing I have encountered.
The book is 585 pages, but do not let that deter you. When one character's story ends, Pam Munoz Ryan quickly introduces you to a new character, and a new time period in our history.
The writing is also filled with emotion. I dare your heart not to be heavy, and your soul not outraged when some sections end. The novel begins with Otto who receives a magic harmonica, and that instrument ties the three lead characters together: Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California. Friedrich is a young, disfigured boy living in Nazi Germany who is on a quest to find his imprisoned father. Mike, bound to his only family member, his brother, lives during the Great Depression. Ivy is an itinerant farmer's child living in California during World War II, who learns of the injustice done to the Japanese, but also learns the harsh realities of migrant faming.
I can't give away the beautiful way this author ends the story and ties all of the characters together. Read on and treat yourself to a true reading experience!
* "The book’s thematic underpinnings poignantly reveal what Friedrich, Mike, and Ivy truly have in common: not just a love of music, but resourcefulness in the face of change, and a refusal to accept injustice." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review