Reviews
by Lauren Wolk
Echo Mountain is an acclaimed best book of 2020!
An NPR Best Book of the Year • A Horn Book Fanfare Selection • A Kirkus Best Book of the Year • A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year • A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year • A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
After losing almost everything in the Great Depression, Ellie’s family is forced to leave their home in town and start over in the untamed wilderness of nearby Echo Mountain. Ellie has found a welcome freedom, and a love of the natural world, in her new life on the mountain. But there is little joy after a terrible accident leaves her father in a coma. An accident unfairly blamed on Ellie.
Ellie is a girl who takes matters into her own hands, and determined to help her father she will make her way to the top of the mountain in search of the healing secrets of a woman known only as “the hag.” But the hag, and the mountain, still have many untold stories left to reveal.
Historical fiction at its finest, Echo Mountain is celebration of finding your own path and becoming your truest self. Lauren Wolk, the Newbery Honor– and Scott O'Dell Award–winning author of Wolf Hollow and Beyond the Bright Sea, weaves a stunning tale of resilience, persistence, and friendship across three generations of families.
Recommended for readers ages 10 years and older.
Softcover, 368 pages.
Dutton Books for Young Readers.
Printed in the United States.
Echo Mountain is an acclaimed best book of 2020!
An NPR Best Book of the Year • A Horn Book Fanfare Selection • A Kirkus Best Book of the Year • A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year • A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year • A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
★ “Wolk’s poetic prose and enticing foreshadowing warrant savoring as they carry the reader through the narrative, which gracefully unfolds over brief, steadily paced chapters. Historical fiction at its finest.” –The Horn Book, starred review
★ “Complex and fiercely loving, Ellie is a girl any reader would be proud to have as a friend…. Woven with music, puppies, and healing, Wolk’s beautiful storytelling turns this historical tale of family and survival into a captivating saga.” –Booklist, starred review
★ “[A] magnificently related story of the wide arc of responsibility, acceptance, and, ultimately, connectedness.... A luscious, shivery delight.” –Kirkus, starred review
★ “[An] exquisitely layered historical…. A powerful, well-paced portrait of interconnectedness, work and learning, and strength in a time of crisis.” –Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ “In this complex, memorable novel, Wolk explores themes of social responsibility, modern versus traditional medicine, biological versus chosen family and more.” –BookPage, starred review
★ “Wolk again spins a fascinating historical fiction novel with strong female characters. Her short chapters are infused with adventure and mystery, frequently end on cliff-hangers, and include abundant dialogue that will propel readers through this novel they will find hard to put down.” –SLC, starred review
“Ellie is a deeply appealing character…. A reader who wants to make a difference will appreciate the way she rolls up her sleeves and gets things done. And surely there has never been a better time to read about healing, of both the body and the heart.” –The New York Times Book Review
“This marvelous novel is perfect for our time, a portrait of hard times and a loving family in crisis—and a girl using her ingenuity, empathy and courage to forge a path toward healing.” –Buffalo News
“Lauren Wolk has woven a mesmerizing, poignant tale—a story laced with grit and pluck about having the courage to carve out one’s own life. Brilliant.” –Lynda Mullaly Hunt, bestselling author of Shouting at the Rain and Fish in a Tree
“Historical fiction at its finest.” –The Horn Book
“There has never been a better time to read about healing, of both the body and the heart.” –The New York Times Book Review
“Soothing and exquisitely written.” –People
“This is a book that will soothe readers like a healing balm.” –The Wall Street Journal
“Brilliant.” - Lynda Mullaly Hunt, bestselling author of Fish in a Tree
