Title: The Echo of Children
Author: Sharon Elliott
Genre: Family Saga
In Sharon Elliott’s The Echo of Children, five children disappear from their homes under mysterious circumstances in the late 1990s and early 2000s in Australia. Over twenty years later, one of the children, Jessica, discovers that she was illegally adopted, which leads her on a quest to find her birth parents. What follows is the unraveling of a cold-case mystery as more of the children, now young adults, are found.
Elliott’s characters, especially twin sisters Jessica and Sophia, are likeable, which makes reading their journey a pleasant experience. The author does a satisfying job of portraying a vast array of emotions on the page through her characters, especially the unimaginative heartbreak the parents experience when their children are kidnapped. June, Jessica’s and Sophia’s mother, is the most devastated. She also loses her son Jack, and she spends years lost in her head, pushing a baby stroller in her garden, imagining the baby doll in it is her son. Many readers who are mothers will feel the depth of June’s depression at the very thought of losing their children.
On the other hand, the various reunions between family members are heartwarming. This is best developed for Jessica, who serves as the main character. Once Sophia is introduced with her young daughter, Dani, the bond grows, and a significant part of the book focuses on the consequences of Dani’s father leaving her in a car on a hot day. Again, Elliott writes emotions with real depth during these chapters and gives the reader a chance to see the characters grow through hard times.
As more of the adult children who went missing show up, the plot goes on a tangent for a few chapters for one such character. She appears again at the end to wrap the threads up nicely. Two of the other characters who were kidnapped as children appear in Jessica’s life in touching and unexpected ways.
There are perhaps a few missed opportunities in which to develop Jessica’s relationship with her boyfriend, Luke, more. While there are mentions of dates and growing closer, more explanation about what they discuss on their dates would serve to help create an even deeper connection between these important and relatable characters.
The cold case of the disappearances is mentioned off and on throughout the book, but more clues for how it is ultimately solved would create an even better payoff once justice is served.
Elliott has a promising premise here. With more details added to relationships and the investigation, her story could be taken from solid to exceptional. She has a good grasp on creating characters and opening the plot with an intriguing mystery.
The Echo of Children serves as a heartbreaking and heartwarming journey of family. Sharon Elliott’s novel will appeal to readers who enjoy found family narratives, literally. The Echo of Children is a straightforward read with a strong emphasis on relational bonds and the love that holds a family together through challenging times.
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