"Echo" by Pam Munoz Ryan

A boy in 19th century Bavaria stumbles upon a fairy tale while lost in the forest.  In 1933, a young German boy's father struggles to hide his anti-Hitler sentiments as his unique son fights the rising tide of hatred.  In 1935, a pair of orphaned brothers work to stay together as they seek a home beyond a brutal orphanage in Pennsylvania.  In 1942, an American-born Mexican girl deals with a sudden move from Fresno to Southern California, her older brother leaving their family to serve in the war, and the racism surrounding her.  These stories are woven together like the music which prefaces each section.

This startlingly beautiful, powerful book represents the growing talents of Ms. Ryan, whose lyricism and brilliance really began to shine through with The Dreamer.  Clever, complex, and with unexpected plot turns, the story pulls on threads of very different types to create something that is new in many ways.  Critics who have called the resolution "pat" or unrealistic miss the point -- that there is a connection between people similar to the way disparate notes in a song can talk to each other.  In my humble opinion, this was a worthy novel of the Newbery Honor it received.  While long and not particularly fast-paced, it was a page-turner because the story-telling is rich, the characters compelling and well-drawn, and the "beats" of the story echo humanity.  Hence the title?  A delightful read.  Enjoy.