What the Wind Knows

A book that I found hard to put down. The interaction between characters is fascinating. Seems like things just happened to the main character and she tries her best to make a normal life out of circumstances. But falls hopelessly in love which makes things much harder for her. Great characters and great story that brings history to life. A must read if you love a bit of fantasy or any curiosity about early Ireland.

"What the Wind Knows" is a blend of a romantic novel and historical fiction, with a little fantasy mixed in. Hard core fans of any of these genres might object to the blend. For my own tastes, the book achieved a nice balance. I've read romance novels that are too separate from the world and historical fiction that is too immersed in the factual details. The plot was cleverly woven. The transitions between history and fiction were excellent: visible enough that the reader could recognize the history, and seamless enough that the story flowed smoothly. The fantasy device of time travel was executed with little explanation or fuss, adding a little mystery to the plot. The plot ingredients added up to an interesting and gripping story, though it falls short of being a "thriller". The three main characters were drawn carefully and they were appealing. Their actions were consistent with their personalities. The several minor characters (including the historical ones) were likewise interesting and distinct. The writing was clear. The action was vividly presented and the introspections didn't overly impede the advancement of the plot. The advantage of the blend of genres is that the history was conveyed in the context of "real" personalities. I think the author did a good job of conveying the political and emotional cross currents at a time of turbulent developments in Ireland. Profanity and sex were relatively mild, a plus for me. I enjoyed the book. I recommend it for readers who enjoy a little history combined with a good tale.

I HONESTLY don’t know where to start on how much this book meant to me! I finished ‘What the Wind Knows’ in 2 nights and never wanted it to end. I also finished it 2 weeks ago, thinking on how can I move the reader on reading a book you’ll never forget... How do does one explain the love I had for a country I lived in for 3 years, and closed my eyes seeing the Ireland I once knew as beauty! I was in love with the concept of how the story was written so well. I am not usually a reader of fantasy, but you couldn’t have pulled this away from me! It is beautifully well written novel. It might have been fiction/fantasy, but every event in 1916-1920’s were on target, during a heartbreaking time in history. I listened & read—I highly recommend listening, for every emotion felt & heard in the narrators voices 🤗. Amy Harmon, pulled every feeling and emotion I was feeling and went through! I felt Anne’s confusion, her unconditional love for her grandfather, Ireland & never wanting to let go of what she found! I felt everything that Thomas was going through during the IRA anguish and the U.K 🇬🇧 involvement. What they were fighting for, the bloodshed for friends he lost, and a ‘woman’ who he once knew, but this woman stole his heart and soul. As well as his confusion with the “Anne” he once knew, and “didn’t” know. The novel and story was so cleverly woven into ‘Time Travel’ and, as I keep saying, a much loved, that we all wish we had, ‘love story. I’m trying so much not to give away spoilers, I pretty much loathe them, because spoilers give away a Novel that needs to be read! Anne, is an author, who lives with her grandfather, who was born and raised in Ireland. Her whole life has been a balancing act of trying to find love, while balancing her family-grandfather-and her writing career. Amy Harmon never directly points anything out with Anne and certain ‘reasons’, unbeknownst to the reader. Since the age of 5 she didn’t understand why her grandfather wouldn’t take a trip with her to Ireland. He taught her the way she should sound as a true Irish Lady, as well as ‘Gaelic’. Daily Anne would ask him, “When are we going? I have tickets?” “Not yet Anne!” Every year she begged and every year he refused. Again, the author threw her wants into learning how sometimes you have to sacrifice boundless ambition for love, respite, and family. Her grandfather always spoke about Thomas as his second father, as an amazing man, who was loved, extremely admired and a highly accomplished Doctor. He never took his focus off of his duties to Ireland via the IRA, yet Thomas never fought. He was their strength and was boundless in a love, he never would have thought existed. As much as I truly want to go on and say so much more about ‘What the Wind Knows’ ‘story within a story’ I cannot. It would go against my solid belief in *NO SPOILERS ALLOWED* What I can and will remark on is the novel & story is not a ‘chick flick’. It is filled with love, tragedy, suspense in not knowing what could be around the corner at any moment. The twists and turns are not like ones in a thriller, but they’re everywhere in this story.. The book was mostly written from Anne's POV and also with entries from Thomas's diary that gave the reader a glimpse into his POV. In ending my review..I couldn’t let myself put this novel down for a minute. I will definitely read again, because it’s not..in my opinion..to be just read once. If I could I’d give it 10 stars..It was so well written with an amazing imagination as well. Lately books that are called Romance/Fantasy are just predictable, too sweet, cookie cutter type, they don’t stray away from what they think readers like..This is not one of those and I’m so grateful to have been able to go to a place of happiness while I read ‘What the Wind Knows’ Thank you Amy, for bringing me out of a funk, to a place that brought out a smile that needed to come out and the tears as well...all at the same time 💕💕 Highly recommended for all..

5+++ Stars!!!!! This book has ruined me for all other books! I'm still trying to wrap my head around what happened and my poor heart! How can it ache SO GOOD and SO BAD?! This was a beautiful story of love, loss, family and patriotism with one of the most unique storylines and had me feeling EVERYTHING! The concept of time travel has always fascinated me but it is certainly a difficult topic to get perfectly right, whether in movies or books. Many times there are inconsistencies and plot holes. Not in this book. Amy Harmon got it right. I mean she NAILED it! I honestly had no idea how perfect it was until the very end. The author carries us on a spectacular time travel journey filled with love and loss. It was like a puzzle that you were trying to solve piece by piece and the anticipation of seeing the whole picture will have you thoroughly enthralled. This book is very rich in history and our heroine Anne gets pulled back to Ireland in 1921 at the cusp of the Irish Civil War. First of all let me just say I am not a history buff. Before reading this book I certainly had no interest in what Ireland went through to gain her Independence. However, you cannot help but be fascinated with Amy's story telling. She weaves the tale of these heroic men and women who fought for Ireland's liberation from Great Britain and I could feel their pride and I wept for what it cost them to achieve their independence. As Anne learns firsthand about the country of her ancestors and lives the events that she only read about in "her time", you can't help but be caught up in the fascination of it all. The details in this book are phenomenal and you cannot help but respect the level of research that must have gone into the writing of this novel. The love Ann and Thomas discover in each other takes them both by surprise. Ann finds herself in love with a man in the past and is at war with what decisions to make. Their love was gradual but intense and passionate. Thomas was such a great man. He was a kind and generous soul but also smart and brave. He risked his life for his family and his country. He loved Anne with such fervor and their path was so gut wrenching but so beautiful! Their love story was simply epic! There were so many amazing characters in this book that each played their role in what unfolded in this story. Everything about this book was beautifully complex. It makes you realize we are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. Time became irrelevant. Love became important. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time to come. I know it's only January but I know this will be one of my favorite reads of 2019. Well done Amy Harmon!

This book started out with a very touching scene and set the stage for Anne Gallagher to grant her grandfather Eoin’s wish to return home to Ireland. She’s always wanted to go to Ireland with her grandfather but now she has his urn and a bittersweet task to perform. She’s been reading the letters gifted by her grandfather after she gets to Dromahair, Ireland. When she goes in the lake Lough Gill to disperse her grandfather’s ashes, she is transported to the past 5 years after Anne Gallagher disappeared in 1916 to 1921, she gets shot then all the details are period related with extreme distrust from everyone associated with her ancestor Anne and the continuing fight for Ireland’s freedom. I would hate having to wear period clothes but Anne sold her jewelry and bought the garments and deals with the questions from Thomas and the hostility from Bridget, innocent love from Eoin and historical details of Ireland’s bid for freedom and independence. Once Anne realizes what happened to the original Anne - she walks a chalk line with everyone especially Brigid Anne’s MIL (who I couldn’t stand) becoming even more suspicious of her return after her son Devlin’s death and still has to deal with the Irish revolutionary activists and their supporters plus the “law” who seeks them all. The information she knows from research in her time 🧐makes her look even more suspicious when she reveals details that she shouldn’t have. She falls in love with Thomas and loves spending time with Eoin but Thomas distrusts her despite his feelings. Deny, deny, deny until seeing is believing. I like the idea of stories written for Eoin with Thomas illustrating but I was mad at him for the way he treats Anne. Also interesting take on indentured Irish slavery too, the fight for Freedom from the British, then the start of the Irish Civil War. Nice cover, great audio companion with two fantastic narrators. The title is explained well throughout the book. Yeats poetry is still puzzling to me - I just don’t get it but it worked for Thomas and Anne in this book❣️Loved the ending ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Outlander meets Ireland. Beautifully written and executed. It pulls you in quickly and, even though there’s some obvious conclusions, you still want to believe they won’t happen and you won’t be able to put it down until you know for sure where this goes. I love historical fiction - it’s a wonderful way to learn a little something!

This book has been in my possession for more than three months and I just decided to read it this week. You might not understand how that could be unless you have the same appreciation for Amy Harmon's novels as I do. I knew What the Wind Knows would both demand and deserve my full attention and I didn't feel like I could give it it's proper due until now. Well, it was not only worth the wait, it was one of the most extraordinary experiences I've ever had while reading a novel. I'm in absolute awe as I sit here, contemplating what I can possibly say that hasn't already been said. I sit here in awe because Amy Harmon is so far on another level of storytelling and world building and character development, I feel as though she's our own Anne Gallagher, too big and too magical and too extraordinary for this tiny corner of the book world I exist in. Instead she drifts away, leaving in search of ideas and personalities and truths bigger than what most writers are able to conjure, and she returns with stories so profound, so perfect, so outside the realm of what we're used to it's literally beyond my comprehension. It's absolutely BREATHTAKING what she continues to do and what she's accomplished with What the Wind Knows. There's a scene early on in this book where Anne is looking at photos, not yet understanding the significance of the images she's looking at. As a successful author with a burning passion to know more about her family's history, she's contemplating a trip to write a story of the history of Ireland. Her grandfather tells her not to write about Ireland's history, but instead to write a love story. Who whispered those words to Amy Harmon as she set off to unearth the secrets of her family, returning with a story so rich with romance but woven seamlessly and remarkably with the history of that land? Or was it just a voice in the wind? I couldn't help but wonder how much of the author's own story is peppered within these pages. I think that made it even more beautiful... the knowledge that the souls of those long passed live on in these words, just as they did in the journals of one Thomas Smith. I refuse to go into the story details here, I just need you to know that this book is BEYOND EPIC. It's quite possibly the most MASTERFUL story this author has written, the details so painstakingly stitched together with truth and historical accuracy and raw, devastating emotion. It's full of twists and turns, things that I never saw coming that left tears streaking my face as I read. I can't properly convey how MAJESTIC this book is. It's so special, so unbelievably extraordinary. It's an ode to loss, to life, to true love and family and the importance of family history. It's TOO MUCH to whittle down into a few meaningless words in a book review and because of that you MUST experience it for yourself RIGHT THIS MINUTE.

Spoilers! If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. I will definitely be thinking about this book for a long time and might be on my all time favorites list now. Such an incredible story mixed with love, adventure, history, loss, and so much more. I was picturing outlander a lot of the time but love that while there were similarities it had its own story to tell still with the different timelines and love story between Anne and Thomas. I especially loved that she got to go back and be with her grandfather and develop an even more beautiful bond with him in a different way than she already had growing up with him. It’s so beautifully sad and I wish it didn’t end!!

I’m speechless. This book is pure art. It doesn’t matter how many times I have read it: it’s an historical novel but it doesn’t get old!

This book is simply magnificent. The love story links a time travel which makes the readers loose themselves in the plot. Totally remarkable. I recommend it undoubtedly -not only will you learn a lot about how Ireland was working just a century ago but also you will experience a deep and unforgettable love story.

❛If you keep looking at me that way, Anne, I’ll kiss you. I don’t know if I trust you. I don’t even know who you are half the time. But damn if I can resist you when you look at me like that.❜ I wanted him to. I wanted him to kiss me, but he didn’t close the distance between us, and his lips didn’t press into mine. I couldn't bring myself to put the book down as I had to know what would happen next. miss amy masterfully crafted an enchanting world I never wanted to leave. I loved this book with all my heart, savoring every page as it tugged at my emotions. it made me bawl my eyes out. I have never cried so much while reading historical fiction and romance. this was truly one of the most beautiful and unforgettable stories I have ever read. დ

I read over 100 books in 2020, and I ended the year with this book. It was a wonderful surprise. The story is very beautifully written, with a huge emphasis on family and roots. If you are interested in any of the following topics, family, history, romance, this would be a very good book for you. I'm trying to write a review without giving to much away because much of the beauty of this book is in the unexpected twists and turns that you discover with the character. It is a story with a lot of hidden plot details that would make re-reading it a joyful experience. This is definitely a book you'd want to buy and keep, for many future re-reads. Ever since I've read this, I've been recommending this book and others by the same author to people around me, and they've all really liked her novels too. The hard cover also makes it a great collectable =)

This book hit me right in the heart and didn't let go for days. I read it in one sitting but it keeps circling back in my mind for further examination. I think the thing I like best about Harmon's style (other than how incredibly neat and truly proficient it is) is the sense of true growth throughout that makes it feel as if you have seen a character's whole life, and that is how she pulls off an almost impossible premise so perfectly. I was a little skeptical at the outset, believing that telling an elegant, nuanced tale with time travel as a major feature wasn't really possible, but it only took one chapter for it to become clear that this wasn't going to be a play at the premise but an attempt at an archetype by which it should be done by in future. And by the end I believed she had pulled it off. For those who love good writing: this is so neatly stitched together it's a delight to read and it hits all its beats. A real ouroboros of a narrative, this story snakes its way back into itself until by the end there is no longer a beginning, and I started to see the very start as perhaps the true end I wanted to reflect most on. Very much a quiet triumph in style. For those who love history: how the hell does Harmon manage so much detail with so little labour in the reading of it? The sense of place in this narative is beautiful and intrinsic. This is a particularly interesting time period and I think it shows enough to bring it to life in new ways that make me far better understand what life could have been like. It would be akin to what Gone with the Wind did for my empathy for the losing side of the American civil war, but here we have trimmed the fat and get a more succinct look in, which I think is an improvement in pace on that massive work. For those who like romance: if you just want some silly insta-love escape, you've come to the wrong place. This is too genuine and grounded for those kinds of quick thrills. But if you're up for a true reward, just invest in it. That said, I also didn't feel like the early building of the relationship was too slow so it's not like you have to wait a hugely long time to see chemistry develop. And it builds up to a truly great love story (and I definitely cried at a few points, once even just over the fact that the act of living itself would never give these characters enough time, no matter how long that was. It was a wild ride.) As for science: I personally think the telling of the story negates the need to describe the workings of the mechanism. There is so much myth and poetry and tales and words passed through and over time in this novel that it takes on that quality anyway and doesn't need magic or explanation or apology to explain it away. It holds to its own logic and it does that well, which is the most important part. Overall I think this book will haunt me, and I guess in the end for me that's the definition of a truly good book. One that moves you. One that changes the way you see the world and your life. One you won't easily forget, even if you read another hundred books this year.