Wolk, Lauren. Echo Mountain. Fiction. Dutton, 04/2020. 356pp. $17.99. 978-0-525-55556-8. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 5-7.
Twelve-year-old Ellie has adjusted to the life changes associated with moving from town to the mountains in Maine during the Depression, but accepting that her father is in a coma has proven to be difficult. The remote setting and lack of physical descriptions defaults characters to white. While historical fiction, it’s also a tale of sophisticated family dynamics that is more nuanced than those found in most middle grade books. Elegant prose transports the reader to the time period. Although the geographic parameters of the story are very limited, a story of one girl’s empowerment propels it forward.
Review based on an ARC.
Beth Gousman, Montclair School