Module 6 Fiction, Fantasy, YA: Echo - Written by Pam Munoz Ryan

 

Module 6 – Book Review 1 

Review of Pam Munoz Ryan’s Echo 

*This review was written for a course through Sam Houston State University. 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Ryan, P. M. (2015). ECHO. Scholastic Press. ISBN: 978-0-439-87402-1 

2. PLOT SUMMARY 

In "Echo” written by Pam Munoz Ryan, a story connects three main characters through the space of time in the years from the Nazi Germany, through the Great Depression in America, and finally California in the 1940s. Each time period is connected by a magical and mysterious harmonica and the interactions of three different main characters, Friedrich, Mike, and Ivy, respectively. First, the harmonica finds its way into the hands of Friedrick who struggles with his love for music in Nazi Germany and has a magical encounter with the harmonica on his journey to escape the oppressive regime to find freedom. For him, the harmonica symbolizes hope and resilience. Next the harmonica connects with Mike who is struggling with his family during the Great Depression in America. For him, the harmonica serves as a source of inspiration and motivates him throughout his struggles. Finally, the harmonica links with the character, Ivy, and she is able to use it during World War II in California to explore her individuality and her cultural heritage. Each character sees how friendship, courage, and the power of music can overcome anything in any circumstance. Ryan manages to demonstrate how the human spirit can prevail in any setting.  
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS  

In "Echo,” Pam Munoz Ryan creates characters who show their struggles amidst historical and realistic backdrops which helps the readers relate to each of them. Each protagonist faces specific challenges which are tied to their place in history. This helps the readers develop empathy with each of their journeys as they navigate the different time periods they are in.  

The plot uses the motif of the shared magical harmonica and is logically structured making the individual stories stand out, but still cohesive. Each character is not simply tied together by the harmonica, but by each person’s quest for hope and the belonging they are searching for.  

Ryan does a good job of creating a setting that makes each environment come to life and enhance the experience of first Friedrick in Nazi Germany, Mike during the Great Depression in America, and Ivy in 1940s California. It is through the journey of Friedrick, Mike, and Ivy that the author demonstrates the power of music. The setting effectively illustrates the contrasting environments of Nazi Germany, the Great Depression in America, and 1940s California, which enriches the story and enhances the emotional stakes for each character. Resilience, friendship, and the transformative power of music are key themes for the story.  

Ryan’s writing style allows readers to place themselves in each time period to truly understand each character's perspective. There is authenticity in the voices of Friedrich, Mike, and Ivy and they make their experiences even more relatable and compelling to the reader. "Echo" truly celebrates the power of music and connection and creates the need to reflect on hope, courage, and the bonds that unite people across time and distance. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) 

Booklist (February 15, 2015 (Online))  

When Otto meets three ethereal sisters, he has no idea that the harmonica they enchant will one day save a life. Decades later, the very same harmonica makes its way to America, and in three sections, Ryan tells the stories of kids whose lives are changed by its music: Friedrich Schmidt, in 1933 Germany, whose father is a Jewish sympathizer; Mike Finnegan, an orphan in Philadelphia in 1935; and Ivy Lopez, living with her parents in California in 1942 while they take care of the farm of a Japanese family who has been sent to an internment camp. 

Horn Book Guide starred (Fall 2015)  

A boy is mesmerized by a story about three princesses trapped under a witch's spell until they save a life through a special harmonica. Ryan's storytelling prowess and vivid voice lead readers through a hefty tome illuminated by layers of history, adventure, and the seemingly magical but ultimately very human spirit of music.  

Horn Book Magazine (March/April, 2015)  

Lost in the forest, a boy is mesmerized by a story about three princesses trapped under a witch's spell until they save a life through a special harmonica. The harmonica and the love of music serve as the unifying threads for these tales of young people who save the lives and spirits of their families and neighbors, each in a time marked by bigotry and violence. It's an ambitious device, but Ryan's storytelling prowess and vivid voice lead readers expertly through a hefty tome illuminated by layers of history, adventure, and the seemingly magical but ultimately very human spirit of music. 

Kirkus Reviews starred (December 15, 2014)  

A multilayered novel set in turbulent times explores music's healing power. In Nazi Germany, 12-year-old Friedrich finds the harmonica in an abandoned building; playing it fills him with the courage to attempt to free his father from Dachau. A grand narrative that examines the power of music to inspire beauty in a world overrun with fear and intolerance, it's worth every moment of readers' time. 

Publishers Weekly (December 22, 2014)  

The fairy tale that opens this elegant trio of interconnected stories from Ryan (The Dreamer) sets the tone for the rest of the book, in which a mystical harmonica brings together three children growing up before and during WWII. Friedrich, an aspiring conductor whose birthmark makes him an undesirable in Nazi Germany, must try to rescue his father after his Jewish sympathies land him in a prison camp. 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. 

School Library Journal (December 1, 2014)  

"Long before enchantment was eclipsed by doubt," a young boy named Otto lost in the woods is rescued by three sisters imprisoned there by a witch's curse. In return, he promises to help break the curse by carrying their spirits out of the forest in a mouth harp and passing the instrument along when the time is right. Meticulous historical detail and masterful storytelling frame the larger history, while the story of Otto and the cursed sisters honor timeless and traditional folktales. Ryan has created three contemporary characters who, through faith and perseverance, write their own happy endings, inspiring readers to believe they can do the same. 

5. CONNECTIONS  

• Related Books - Other books about the themes of music, hope, and war 

• Kacer, Kathy. THE SOUND OF FREEDOM. ISBN 978-1554519699 

• Nielsen, Jennifer A.. A NIGHT DIVIDED. ISBN 978-0545682442 

• Enrichment Activities -     

• Explore music with the harmonica – Discuss the history of the harmonica with students and introduce them to music using the harmonica specifically from the 1930s to the 1940s. 

• Character diaries – Have students write diary entries from each main character’s point of view during a turning point in their story.