Munoz Ryan author study discussion

We come to the end of the book. What surprised you about where the author took it? Did you see all the characters coming together? Honestly I did not know what was happening. I was hoping it was Ivy because she was the only one I thought had survived her part of the story.
We again get back to the sisters from the beginning. I honestly thought when I started reading the book that the three main characters would have been taken over by the sister's spirits, but I am glad that their gift was all that was passed.
Ending thought on this book to share with the group?

I LOVED the end of the story. It took me right where I wanted it to be! Everyone was safe and moving forward in their lives!!

I loved the end of the book. My heart was so happy when they all played together at the final concert. The harmonica had traveled through so many lives and touched so many people along the way. I loved how the harmonica took a bullet that shaped how the story ended and the spell was broken. I felt the greatest connection to Mike and Frankie Friedrich. I teach at a high poverty school and these three characters I was able to embrace and make so many internal connections with. I saw all the characters coming together and would highly recommend this novel to others. It is a beautifully crafted story!

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the intertwining of music, family, love, heartache, hope, and trying to follow their heart/dreams. I loved Part 4. I didn't know how the author was going to piece it all together, but I love how seamless and believable everything was. I am guessing/hoping that Ivy and Kenny ended up together. I was really hoping that Elisabeth would finally come back to her family, but I loved that Kenny and Elisabeth did meet. I was happy that Kenny could see the three girls that "cared" for him while he was in the hospital. That was a clue the spell had been broken. I feel relieved that Mike was okay, and he and Frankie got to stay together.
This was a book that I did not want to put down, and I can't wait to read more from this author.

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.

As everyone has said, I absolutely loved the ending of this book!! After each part of this book we were left hanging, and it all made sense while reading this section. Munoz Ryan was able to orchestrate the perfect ending and bring the main characters together in a way that I was not expecting! The harmonica plays such an important part throughout the book--but makes the biggest impression when it protects Kenny from the bullet. I loved how the three young women came to him during his delirium and whispered for him to live. Their voices were otherworldly and gave him the determination he needed. It was what we needed to understand the significance of the fairy tale and the reason that the spell was broken.

I loved that music was significant throughout the stories in the book and it also became a significant part in each of the characters being in Carnegie Hall in New York City. I appreciated how Munoz Ryan wrapped up each of the stories, so that I could be left with a sense of peace about how their lives turned out.

What a great book!!

Loved the ending of the book. It was great how she tied everything together in the end. At first I was frustrated how we were left hanging at the end of each section but once I finished the book I realized that it was perfectly written. This was one of my favorite books that I have ever read! My heart was definitely happy that everyone and everything turned out so well and how they all were tied together at the concert. Listening to it made the music come alive. This music teacher loved the music aspect of the story!!!

I was also very surprised by the end of the book. Although they all shared the common thread of music, I did not foresee it bringing them all together. It was a pleasant surprise. I thought the sisters from the beginning of the book were going to take a bigger, darker roll in the ending. I was expecting the main characters to be forced to trade places with the sisters in the woods. I was very happy to be wrong! This is definitely a book I would recommend to others!

Actually, I am very glad that the book ended so well. I was very pleased how the characters were all interconnected with music and their dreams in life. I like how intricate Ryan placed the characters in the story, especially Kenny, the 3 sisters, and Elisabeth. So now I won't worry what happened there. Somehow, I felt that Ryan would bring a grand finale' to the story through music, but I am not a musical person, so it was another part that I learned about.
I found it interesting how Ryan used the harmonica with the M, to save a life and set the sisters free. It reached it's destiny just as the families reached theirs.
I LOVED this book. It was very entrancing and mesmerizing the way that Ryan vividly painted the characters and their personalities, I could almost reach out and touch them in my mind. I have already shared with several friends about the book.

Wow! What a well written book with an ending that ties everything together! I was happy that all of the characters came together at the end and played in the final concert. The parts that surprised me was that Elisabeth was Kenny's nurse. Also having the harmonica save Kenny from the bullet was something I was not expecting. Pam Munoz Ryan really knows how to make the reader care for her characters and become invested in their stories.

What a talent Munoz Ryan has for brilliantly weaving together 3 different stories. Along the way I had recognized several similarities but did not see the magical way all three main characters lives would later be intertwined. I was fearful for Freidrich's life and yet was elated how accomplished and content each character's life had turned out. Munoz Ryan did not leave any detail out from Kenny's nurse, Elisabeth, to the harmonica saving his life, and bringing in the 3 sisters. The connections I made with each character as they faced major life events reveals what a special book this is.

Finally a good ending! I am very impressed how the author was able to take all the stories and intertwine them so well. I would have forgotten so many details. I loved how she had them all together in the end. I wonder if they will ever figure out their connection with the harmonica. I was so intrigued when the author shared how Kenny was saved by the harmonica and that Elisabeth was his nurse. How cool. I wonder if Kenny and Ivy will get together at the end as well. The part that I really enjoyed as well was how she tied all of these stories back to Otto his journey to make a living for his family and how it took on the stories of these others. I am glad that nothing awful took place and that everybody survived! Yeah. Fantastic book.

I loved the ending! The author did a really great job wrapping up each of the three stories. I wasn’t sure how Friedrich, Mike, and Ivy’s stories were going to intertwine with each other. I was happy to see they were all playing in the same concert together. It was interesting to me that while Kenny was in the hospital, he talked about three sisters that had visited him and Elisabeth was his nurse. The epilogue for me really tied the stories together with the harmonica that showed up in all three stories. Ryan did a great job of making the reader care for each of the characters throughout the book.

I loved the ending, and how we finally have closure to what happened after each of the previous parts ended!

I also thought it was interesting about Kenny in the hospital with Elizabeth as his nurse and the 3 sisters that had visited him. That was a cool way to integrate those characters. This was a very beautifully written and unique book.

What a great ending to the story. I was impressed by how carefully creatively the author incorporated each story at the end. She did not miss out on one detail. Hoe fitting for the book to end with a music concert. I was so happy to find a happy ending to the first two stories. I also loved how the author incorporated the three sisters story into the three parts. Otto's harmonica story was sweet and just a perfect ending that did not leave the reader guessing. This book would be a great book to use in the classroom when working on prediction or letting students make up their own ends to each part. Comparing and contrasting would also be a good thing to address while reading this book. I'm sure there are countless activities that go along with this book.

All I can say is thank goodness. I was really worried I wouldn't get to find out what happened to all these characters. I didn't even think about the fact that they would be brought together by music and all be in the same place at the end. After reading it though, it was kind of like duh, Anjie, wouldn't that make sense that they all ended up in the same place? Their stories were so different and took place all over the world, so I never suspected the author would bring them together in the end. It was a great way to end the book. I can't wait to read the next book for this book study.

This was such a well thought out story! I loved the twists and turns from starting with the sisters to how their spirits were passed on. I liked how the characters came together and was able to play their music. What a great read!

I absolutely LOVED this book! Ryan is a literary genius! The way the stories were woven together were brilliant. The M for messenger. The harmonica and its music joined by the silken thread of destiny. At first, I was worried about the prologue and thought the book would be complete fantasy, but it wasn’t. It tied the entire story together. The suspense from each part’s ending kept the audience eager to continue reading the story. It did not feel like a nearly 600 page book. I’ll definitely read this book again and use in literature circles.

This book was so great. I loved reading it. The ending was absolutely amazing. I liked how Pam Munoz Ryan updated us on what the characters were all doing. The M for Messenger on the harmonica was the most interesting to me because I had been wondering about that all throughout the story. It was truly amazing that this harmonica could be the thing that saved Kenny's life. Also, taking us back to the three sisters was a great thought. I also liked how we found out about the connection with music and how it ended up with the characters being in New York for the Philharmonic.
I like how the book was set up with each part focusing on certain characters. It was very suspenseful and easy to read. Then it was fun to read how the last part tied everything together. It was a book that kept me wanting to read more and it was enjoyable.

I LOVE what the author did. I love that all the characters are together doing what they love. I didn't see the characters coming together at the end. Each ending was difficult in the way that they were left in a cliffhanger. I am glad that the ending has such closure.

I could not envision how Ryan was going to intertwine these stories together for closure. I love how she did it. I am so happy that all ended well. Having the harmonica as a catalyst for nearly everything was ingenious.
I found it very interesting that when the harmonica saved Kenny's life it essentially freed the sisters. Brilliant!

I have a new favorite book: Echo! Wow, this book blew my socks off! Being left at the end of every section on a cliff hanger was so upset. But the beautiful wrap up in the 4th section made all the anger worth it! I loved how the 4th section included more than just the main characters from each story. For example, hearing how Elizabeth had cared for Kenny.

The ending was so beautiful with all the symbolism and wrap up and how everything became so intertwined and obvious! Amazing story! I will continue recommending this book to all friends and high flying students!

I was pleasantly surprised to find our favorite characters became intertwined and where the harmonica had lead each of them. Ryan did an amazing job of bringing things full circle. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more by our author.