Echoes of a Silent Song

 

About the Book

A split-time romance from an award-winning author

When a choral composer and conductor falls victim to creative block, he resorts to his fallback plan of teaching high school choir. Callum Knight's goal at Peterson High is rediscover his muse, extract himself from teaching, and get back to Boston as quickly as possible.

As the long-suffering accompanist at the high school, Peterson-native Blair Emerson has watched the revolving door of choir directors and their negative impact on her choirs over the last few years. She is less than impressed when a disheveled Callum stumbles in on his first day.

But then they discover an unsigned, unfinished, and handwritten choral composition by a clear musical genius. Blair recalls rumors of Iris, a Peterson student from the 1970s who composed music but was found dead during her senior year. Blair and Callum work to determine if the piece is hers, and the truth they uncover shakes both of them to the core.

With rhythm and flair, Amanda Wen takes readers on an unexpected journey into the depths of a small town's history in this riveting first book in the Melodies and Memories duology. (Goodreads) 

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My Thoughts

This story completely stunned me. To be honest, I really wasn't sure what to expect and I was anticipating a slower read. Oh my goodness. I couldn't put this book down and it has become one of my favorite reads of the year! The characters of Callum and Blair gripped me from the start. They have dealt with real life issues and struggle to find a common ground. In comes the split time story going back in time to the life of Iris, a student. I adored both timelines and that rarely happens. The story flows nicely between the two and the romance is *chef's kiss*. The suspense had me on the edge of my seat and by the end I was happy, sad, and contemplative. I think some of the suspense elements perhaps could have been written out a little bit more and further developed but I still think it was a great addition. I love this story and I highly recommend! 

*I will caution that there are some tough topics discussed such as suicide, Vietnam war, and depression. 

Five Stars!

"I received a complimentary copy of the book from Kregel Publications. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."