I have read Pam Munoz Ryan before, and enjoyed her books - but this was one may be the best so far. It was unique and beautiful.
There are five stories she spins - the first set in the late 1800s, and a boy's life is intertwined with an encounter with three girls from a fairy tale he is reading, but the story is unfinished. The next story is set in Nazi Germany, the next on the East Coast of America, and the last in California. All the stories are connected by music and a harmonica with "ethereal" qualities. Each story is told, and then stopped at it's climax, then tied together at the very end.
What I liked: The historical contexts, the music connection, and the struggles. The first boy's family is experiencing the propaganda of the Nazi's - the danger of not following, and the dividing power within a family. The second story involves orphans and loss, the third involves a Mexican family and Japanese family - both experience segregation because of the war.
What I didn't like: The climax of each mini-story was actually skipped even in the end - each story stopped just before, and the end of the book resolved each story - but without the climactic moment.
What I wanted to know: The character of Kenny was interesting, but we never got know him - he ended the story but his generosity to Ivy's family and all that he did for her seemed to not have enough context. His character needed more explaining to make him more believable.
Rating: 5 of 5
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