Echoes of a Silent Song

A Novel

By: Amanda Wen

Narrated by: Pam Turlow

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 simple: 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 listeners on an unexpected journey into the depths of a small town’s history in this riveting first book in the Melodies and Memories duology.

©2025 Amanda Wen (P)2025 Oasis Audio

Excellently Depicted Villian

I go through a lot of Christian fiction and Christian romance and don’t often review but this one deserves a mention. The villain is very well done and a great warning to all the quietly waiting for Mr Right girls out there. Those who have lived through such villainy will appreciate the accurate portrayal. I love how Jesus’s love is given highest honour and a life lived using the talents He gave you to glorify Him are celebrated.

A inspiring dual time period romance/mystery!

Wow! Echoes of a Silent Song is the first book I’ve read from Amanda Wen & I’m so excited to read more! This enemies to more, dual time period mystery/romance was a definite page-turner. I loved all the music references & how the gift of musical composition was woven throughout along with a beautiful faith thread.

Callum Knight’s a talented musician & composer suffering from writer’s block. Hoping to find his muse again, he takes a position as a small town high school choral director with the goal of returning to Boston as soon as possible. His accompanist, Blair Emerson is less than thrilled to work with him. Blair loves the students & genuinely cares about their wellbeing. Having a revolving door of choir directors has been difficult & Blair believes Callum’s just one more person who’ll leave at the end of the year.

Disagreeing on how hard to push the students, they finally find accord when Callum discovers an unsigned, masterfully written piece from 1970. The brilliant composer, whom Blair believes was a student named Iris who died her senior year, completely captures Callum’s & Blair’s curiosity & they embark on a journey to discover what happened to her. As they unravel the mystery, they find healing from their own pasts.

I loved the dual time period aspects of this story! Callum & Blair are both sympathetic characters trying to overcome past hurts. Blair’s a bit of an ice queen & doesn’t trust easily. Callum’s a frustrated musician who pushes himself as hard as his students. Their enemies to more relationship was perfectly delivered as these two passionate people find a second chance at love.

The mystery of Iris really touched my heart. Her story takes place during the Vietnam War era. Iris is a musical genius who may be neurodivergent, but the diagnosis didn’t really exist then. As she experiences first love, her story turns tragic as she deals with disappointment, narcissistic personalities, & depression.

I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery & was surprised at the number of twists & turns. Just when I thought I had things figured out there was a twist. Though there’re brief mentions of suicide, the author discusses it with sensitivity & thoughtfulness.

I listened to the audiobook version & I enjoyed the narrator. She put just the right amount of emotion into her performance & distinguished the characters beautifully. Highly recommend this romantic, faith-filled mystery!

A Soaring Composition of Justice

Echoes of a Silent Song is a mesmerizing story of creativity, betrayal and justice.

Kalum has lost his ability to compose music after a tragic event in his past. He never wanted to direct choir at a small-town high school. Blair is an accompanist wrestling with her own past betrayals but has a passion for the students and wants them to succeed. Yet how can they excel when they must adjust to a new choral director every year? Can Blair and Kalum work together to make Peterson's choir flourish?
When Kalum and Blair find an unfinished choral composition in the library, they discover that the piece was written by a former Peterson student whose suicide might be something entirely different.

I love how skillfully this author weaves together dual timelines in her work. Iris's story was utterly beautiful. I love that she was neurodivergent. Her passion for music and her desire to create something to glorify God as well as her innocent love for a fellow classmate brought tears to my eyes. Iris's story culminates in a bittersweet tale of creativity and betrayal, but also a tale of finding worth in where her true creativity lies.
The characters are vivid and multi-layered, and Pam Turlow infuses her narration with warmth and passion. I absolutely loved her portrayal of Iris's innocence and gradual awakening to the truth.
The antagonist in this novel is truly terrifying, and the justification for actions was truly psychopathic. Wen does a stellar job of keeping the listener guessing, though, so the solar plexus punch of the antagonist's true motivations is horrifying. I loved that Wen leavens this story with hope, and the surprise twist ending was excellent.
Thoroughly recommended for music lovers, mystery fans and fans of long overdue justice. A tender romance and a beautiful coming-of-age saga, this is a novel not to be missed. Also an excellent read for those who are creative but feel unnoticed. Wen does a wonderful job of emphasizing the true reasons creative people need to create and for whom they are creating.
God bless you all.

Meredith Leigh Burton, author of Janice Everet: A Southern Gothic Jane Eyre Retelling