A lyrical tapestry of hope and resilience, Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan seamlessly blends historical fiction with a whisper of magic. The novel opens with an enchanting fairy tale about a boy named Otto and a prophecy-spinning harmonica, then follows the instrument across decades as it changes the lives of three children facing extraordinary challenges.
In 1933 Germany, Friedrich, a musically gifted boy with a birthmark, battles prejudice under the Nazi regime while trying to protect his Jewish friend and dissident father. In 1935 Pennsylvania, orphaned brothers Mike and Frankie fight to stay together during the Great Depression, their fortunes hinging on a harmonica’s unexpected power. By 1942 California, Ivy López, a Mexican-American girl, confronts racial injustice and her family’s struggles as migrant workers, her courage amplified by music.
Ryan’s prose sings with historical detail and emotional depth, weaving these stories into a crescendo that culminates during World War II, where the harmonica’s magic and the children’s fates intertwine. A testament to music’s power to heal and connect across time, Echo is a Newbery Honor-winning masterpiece that resonates long after the final note.
![A.A. Milne - When We Were Very Young 1924. First edition [1]](https://www.nocloo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/aam-young1-300x400.jpg)
