Three different stories are woven together by a magical harmonica in Pam Muñoz Ryan’s Echo. The novel is split into four parts, bookended by the start and end of the circle told by a boy named Otto. Otto begins by acquiring the harmonica and a mysterious book from a gypsy and encountering three sisters straight from the pages.
Part two follows Friedrich, a boy with a port-wine stain birthmark, growing up in Germany in the early 1930s. Longing to be an orchestra conductor but struggling against those who judge his appearance, as well as the rise of the Nazi party, Friedrich stumbles upon the harmonica and is the first to experience the power it holds. From there, the harmonica is shipped to America, to a town outside of Philadelphia following the Great Depression. Mike and his younger brother Frankie are left in an orphanage after their parents and musically inclined grandmother pass away. The harmonica changes the path of their bleak future. From there, the instrument travels to southern California, to Ivy, the youngest in a migrant worker family. She encounters racism for the first time and like the boys before her, finds solace in music. The fates of all the children are tied together, by the echo of the harmonica.
Well-deserving of the Newberry Honor award, Echo showcases moments of history through enigmatic and courageous children. It introduces the reader to real events are hardships while keeping hope and magic alive. Leaving each part off with a cliffhanger, the reader stays hooked to find out what happens next and where all the children will end up.
A strength of the book, and a major point for the recommendation of the use of it in schools, is that it involves many true, historical events and situations. It introduces the ideas in a straightforward way, so as to not overshadow the main plot. Readers will be exposed to several different lifestyles and see a snapshot of what lives may have been like at different points in history.
On the surface, the ending was quite satisfying and leaves one content and perhaps searching for a harmonica of their own. But given the weighty events of the plot, it also feels a bit unrealistic. Additionally, given the length of the book, I feel it would have been beneficial to return to Otto and the sisters another time or two, to remind the reader of that overarching story. Getting to the end and returning to Otto made me start flipping back to the beginning to remember where exactly he was left, and why his ending was significant.
Overall, Echo is a heartwarming joy to read. The language is beautiful, and the words get across some influential messages. If you enjoyed the movie August Rush, read this book. The pair should be sold bundled together with a bag of popcorn and some fuzzy slippers. They hold the same magic, wonder, and stance on the power of music. Evan would fit right in with Friedrich, Mike, and Ivy. If you too, hear “the music in the midst of noise” and see the “array of all that was American: a composition of people of every color, rich and poor, quiet and loud, a mishmash of humanity” (Ryan 565) then perhaps you will be the next one to pick up that magic harmonica.
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