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Summary
Summary
A CCBC BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
"A moving, musical interlude on grief ... a great pick for anyone with a love of music or with a cloud of grief lingering over them. Hand to fans of Lynne Kelly, Christine Day, and Paul Acampora." -- Booklist
"Bolstered by an undercurrent of hope, Chow honors the tween protagonist's complexities and priorities as explored via Amie's candid voice." -- Publishers Weekly
"This lyrical narrative weaves in musical elements to effectively describe the complexity of Amie's grief and its effects on her love for music." -- BCCB
"Perfect for middle school music nerds, especially those undergoing personal turmoil." -- School Library Journal
A glittering debut about life and loss that follows Amie as she learns to heal and move forward over the course of a life-changing year, for fans of When You Trap a Tiger and The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise .
Amie has spent her life perfectly in tune with Ba-ba, her father--she plays the violin, his favorite instrument; she loves all his favorite foods, even if he can't eat them during his cancer treatments; and they talk about books, including Amie's favorite series, Harry Potter. But after Ba-ba dies, Amie feels distanced from everyone close to her, like her mother and her best friends, Rio and Bella. More devastating still, she loses her ability to play the violin--the notes that used to flow freely are now stilted and sharp. Will Amie ever find her way back to the music she once loved?
With hope and harmony lighting the way--and with help from the people who care about her most--Amie must find the strength to carry on. In the end, she'll learn that healing, while painful, can be its own miraculous song.
Advance Praise for Miracle :
"A beautifully written debut about family, friendship, and life after loss. Miracle will be a miracle for the readers who need it." --Dusti Bowling, bestselling author of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus and The Canyon's Edge
"A symphony of loss and healing that's certain to tug at your heartstrings." --Cindy Baldwin, author of Where the Watermelons Grow
"Genuine, sincere, authentic--this book is a gift to readers." --Mary E. Lambert, author of Family Game Night and Other Catastrophes
"A touching book about a difficult subject. It brings a quiet hope to young readers who may be dealing with their own loss, showing that they can find a path forward even after the hardest events." --Melissa Dassori, author of J.R. Silver Writes Her World
Author Notes
Karen S. Chow is an engineer and lives with her family in Gilbert, Arizona. Miracle marks her writing debut. She invites you to visit her at kchowrites.com.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--7--Over half of Amie's life is spent in the shadow of her father's cancer. She has always been close to Ba-ba; she plays his favorite instrument (the violin), and they love sharing their interests. When he passes away, Amie feels disconnected from everyone and everything she knows, including her beloved violin. The first half of this title drags, lost in media references--"Harry Potter," "Zelda," Holes. They are too essential to the plot without enough contextual explanation. But the back half shines, a perfect exploration of gradual disconnect after a loss. It picks up when discussing grief, capturing the trapped, desperate sadness. Amie wants to be alright but has no clue how to express it. Grief is part of life, but difficult to pin down in writing. Chow adeptly accomplishes that, in addition to presenting the tumult of puberty, a recipe for explosive emotions. Along with encapsulating loss, this work is at its best when discussing music: the emotional response, the dedication to practice, the euphoria when a piece clicks. Amie's love for music is by far the best part of the beginning, which makes her later struggles hurt more. Each chapter begins with a musical term and definition, a neat and informative Easter egg. VERDICT Perfect for middle school music nerds, especially those undergoing personal turmoil.--Cat McCarrey
Publisher's Weekly Review
Bolstered by an undercurrent of hope, Chow's unflinchingly raw debut explores the fraught relationship between a grieving daughter and mother during a father's decline and death from cancer. Violinist Amie Cheung, a sixth grader, is always in harmony with her Ba-ba, who lives by a creed of hope, believing that "miracles happen every day," and "divisi" with her mother, who lives by another rhythm. When Ba-ba's cancer enters its final stages, affecting his personality, Amie feels out of sync with them both, and misses Ba-ba's last moments after she stays home from the hospital. Experiencing guilt and grief, and brimming with suppressed anger as Mom works to "return to the everyday," Amie feels unable to play her violin and distances herself from friends, struggling to create "a new harmony" that will bridge relationship gaps and relieve inner cataclysms. Portraying variations on grief experiences amid a community slowly adjusting after a shared loss, Chow honors the tween protagonist's complexities and priorities as explored via Amie's candid voice. Auditory imagery, Harry Potter references, and nods to the Chinese American family's cultural expression ground the narrative, while chapter epigraphs define music theory metaphors. Concludes with an author's note and musical glossary. Ages 8--12. Agent: Andrea Cascardi, Transatlantic Agency. (Mar.)
Booklist Review
A moving, musical interlude on grief, Chow's debut novel wraps readers in the moments Amie shares with her ba-ba, who has cancer. He's had cancer before, and that's why Amie is his miracle, since he never thought he'd have children. When his cancer gets worse, Amie finds herself obsessed with the way her music can make him happy. After his passing, with her mother's desire to return to routine pressing at her back, Amie loses her musical voice, friendships falter, and she must learn to be honest with those around her that she is not okay. Amie's love of music is the primary language of this novel, but her love of Harry Potter proliferates on the page as well--including in odd moments when she wonders if an adult is "smiling like a Slytherin," which disrupts the otherwise lyrical flow. Well-paced and serious without being overly heavy, Chow's debut is a great pick for anyone with a love of music or with a cloud of grief lingering over them. Hand to fans of Lynne Kelly, Christine Day, and Paul Acampora.
