Tami’s Comments (group member since Jan 03, 2018)

Tami’s comments from the Munoz Ryan author study group.

It was a bitter sweet ending for me. While she did get her grandmother and mother back. She is still living a life she might have only seen in a nightmare as a child. I wish there would have been some comfort knowing her uncles got away with being so horrible. I need to remember not all stories have a fairy tale ending.

It was a great book of a life that a lot of people have probably lived as they come to America to get away from hardships.

This is a very hard few chapters. She is stuck between her two worlds. The world of her being a princess to her new world of being a hard labor and having to actually work and have a lot of pressure put on her. Taking care of infants is a very new skill for her and she is embarrassed over and over for mistakes she makes. She is a very kind person to be able to forgive those who go out of their way to make her miserable. It almost feels like fate is behind her, since it seems nothing good comes to her. She learns so much from her new situation that she would have never learned in her past. I am hoping that her mama gets well for I feel her spirit could be broken if she doesn't.

The beginning of this book reminded me of the movie "All the Pretty Horses" Her life seems so elegant and perfect, much of a princess. I feel for her having her life ripped out from under her and how horrible it must felt for her dad to be killed.
While she has been raised as a princess and everything has been protected from her is going to make it very difficult for her to make any big changes. Her parents seemed to be very strong individuals and it is in her blood to be strong and independent.
Tami Jo

I borrowed the book "Riding Freedom" from my niece. She has read a few books from Ryan and has enjoyed them all. It has been fun to have mini book studies on the books with her.

This book is a true story about a girl in the 1860s who wants to ride horse, during her time at an orphanage in Eastern America. It is not allowed for girls to ride horse, at this time so, she runs away and disguises herself as a boy. During this book she drives a stagecoach across the country. She shows that she is horse whisper at this time, has a some very challenging setbacks, and in the end follows her dreams.

I absolutely love books, movies, and/or stories that all the characters come together in the end. I was not expecting it at all, before I started this. I felt Friedrich did not make it. I assumed Mike did, but thought he would be successful in running away.
I also enjoyed the romantic twist in the story that seems to be placed. Having Elisabeth being Kenny's nurse I thought was great. I cannot wait to read more of Ryan's books.

It was disheartening how someone would vandalize someone's house when they are forced to live in a camp in a so called free country. It is also sad, because their son is off fighting to help our country. Even thought I didn't think they were spies, Ryan worked hard to make me think they are. I think Ivy should have told her parents instead of making it a big secret from them also. Maybe she thought her parents wouldn't tell them about the door in fear they would take the instruments.

This whole session of the book was sad new after sad news, unlike the middle party about Mike. At least Mike had his brother and they could be together.

I like Ivy from the beginning. I felt for her having to leave, in the middle of the night, for her fathers new job that came with lots of uncertainty.
I taught a lot of students in Grafton, ND that had migrant students and lived lives much like this. They would come to school and be called out an hour or two later by their parents saying they were leaving for Texas or Mexico. The student had no clue and wasn't included in the decision. They would leave behind friends, school supplies, and (me) a teacher that really cared for them.

I was happy to see that Ivy meet a friend right away even if it seemed short lived when she felt betrayed by her, since she was unaware of the school for Hispanics. I worry about her being in a school that she isn't being pushed to her full ability.

I feel that Ivy has a good sense of judgement and I trusted her feeling that the Yamamoto's are not spies.

I am a 5th grade teacher in Jamestown, ND. This is my second year in fifth grade and prior to that I taught 9 years in third grade.

Anita wrote: "History always makes an impression on the future and how the world thinks. We all learn from different parts of history. The past has molded the future in different ways.
I am reading this book to..."

I can't wait to read this to my class!!

I think the first family took their bond and not wanting to be separated as the boys being aggressive. While they are very passionate about being together Mr. Howard saw it as a healthy thing if they were kept together.
I felt for the two boys when they were in the clothing store and were treated poorly. I couldn't help but think of the movie "Pretty Woman" at this part... :)

I felt there would be a happy ending in this part, (unlike my feelings from the first part) but unsure how it would turn out if the two ran away. I am not a super fan of how Munoz Ryan leaves the reader wondering at the end of the parts, but I am very intrigued on how they are going to fit together.

I have read both readings and I feel that Munoz Ryan really reaches into diversity and gives you a great incite on these cultures.

This part of the story was a bit hard to get into, since my mind kept going back to Fredriech and wondering if I missed something. But these two boys were easy to like right from the beginning and seeing how they loved each other very much and the only comfort they had was being together. I wonder if all orphanages were like this during this time? It seems that almost every book and movie portrays them as being horrible and the caregivers only looking out for themselves.
I saw the connection between the two stories to be music and this is where I realized the importance of the harmonica. I was figuring the boys were going to break into the basement cupboards and find the harmonica she took from them, but knowing these boys they would never do that. They are very kind and proper boys with great morals.

Between the first two parts I see the struggle, while completely different struggles. They are the same, because they feel life is uncertain and are scared for their safety. Munoz Ryan made it easy to love the boys from the start and makes the reader eager to know of their future.

I think the harmonica that they bought in the store with the M on it is definitely the same harmonica that Friedrich had.

I agree Anita. This time of history is appalling to me and it is unreal that people agreed and still agree with Hitler crimes.

I do not believe that Father was thinking about Jewish/German when he invited the two men over to play with Friedrich. I think he was trying to help him with his audition into the music school. I think it came to a shock to him and how different people were/ did act in fear.
I have really enjoyed this book.

My question:
Do you think they would have made it, to their safe destination, if they left right away and didn't wait for be a reason to leave?

I feel that was a wise choice to take him out of school. He was drawn to the harmonica, because of this choice. I think this was the authors purpose from the beginning.

I as reading this chapter I stopped and discussed with my husband that it wasn't going to be good for Fredrich, because Nazi killed anyone who was different. Even if they were full German, in their eyes, they couldn't be different.

I feel a lot of Germans felt joining the Nazi government was the only way to stay safe and I think this goes for Elisabeth. She know how against the government her father is and this is how she feels she can safe him and her brother.

When I first opened the book I didn't think the black pages were part of the Echo story, so I skipped ahead and read the first chapter. After rereading the back I thought, "oh man it is part of the story" and went back.

I thought the three sisters were a great addition to bring happiness into the lives of three very complex stories. While the witch did trap them, we have hoped that they can live on.
Love historical fiction books and I have never seen a fairy tale added into one before.