What The Wind Knows By Amy Harmon Review – UPDATED 2019

Amy Harmon is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who has written fourteen novels, including the likes of Making Faces, The Bird and The Sword, The Smallest Part, and Running Barefoot. Growing up in the midst of wheat fields and without television, it was books and her other siblings who were her best friends. Because of reading extensively during her childhood days, she had developed a good sense of what makes a good story and how to go about it. Her books are now being published in eighteen different languages around the world.

What The Wind Knows is an exceptional novel that centers around time travel but transcends that aspect of it as the book progresses. It’s a story of love and friendship and knowing your roots and how they affect you and the person you are. Here is a summary of the book-

What the Wind Knows Summary

“In an unforgettable love story, a woman’s impossible journey through the ages could change everything…

Anne Gallagher grew up enchanted by her grandfather’s stories of Ireland. Heartbroken at his death, she travels to his childhood home to spread his ashes. There, overcome with memories of the man she adored and consumed by a history she never knew, she is pulled into another time.

The Ireland of 1921, teetering on the edge of war, is a dangerous place in which to awaken. But there Anne finds herself, hurt, disoriented, and under the care of Dr. Thomas Smith, guardian to a young boy who is oddly familiar. Mistaken for the boy’s long-missing mother, Anne adopts her identity, convinced the woman’s disappearance is connected to her own.

As tensions rise, Thomas joins the struggle for Ireland’s independence and Anne is drawn into the conflict beside him. Caught between history and her heart, she must decide whether she’s willing to let go of the life she knew for a love she never thought she’d find. But in the end, is the choice actually hers to make?”

What The Wind Knows By Amy Harmon Review

Time travel novels are not everybody’s cup of tea. But What The Wind Knows by Amy Harmon is an exceptionally well written book that is adored equally by young and elderly readers. The novel revolves around the story of Anne Gallagher and her amazing time travel journey to Ireland of 1920s.

Anne is young women who starts her own journey towards Ireland to fulfill the last wish of her beloved grandfather Eoin. Unaware of what this journey holds for her Anne is determined to set her feet in this beautiful country of Ireland.

Anne Gallagher’s grandfather Eoin’s dying wish was that his ashes be scattered in his home country of Ireland. Eoin was Anne’s only living relative and Anne is distraught at this loss but is determined to fulfil this wish that her grandfather had. All of her life, her grandfather had told her stories about Ireland, the land of his birth and of Anne’s heritage, but for some reason, he always refused to travel with her to Ireland.

Ireland is exactly how Anne has dreamed it to be, but even after coming there she cannot shake herself out from the death of her beloved grandfather. She feels strange and has no purpose and finds it very difficult to find out what she wants or what can be done to make her feel much better?

In the hope of getting herself out of this grief, Anne rents a small boat and is out for a sail. Because of huge waves this small boat capsizes and Anne is swept away towards the shore. She wakes and finds herself back in time to 1921.

The Plot Thickens….

She was rescued by Dr. Thomas Smith, who himself has no idea about what to make of this women. Because of her serious injuries he decides to take her home, treat her and put her to bed. When all of this was going on Dr. Thomas was struck by her very familiar face of resemblance to his best friend’s wife, who was also named Anne.

According to Dr. Thomas, his best friend’s wife Anne had died five years ago. He keeps on thinking about the possibility of Anne coming back again but various questions such as where she was until now and why did she abandon her young son, especially after his father died in the Irish Uprising of 1916?

Meanwhile,Anne she finds herself in a completely different place. She begins to put together all the dots and realizes that she has traveled back in time to 1921. She finds herself in the midst of people she does not recognize, among whom is a six-year-old boy who she seems to have a strange connection with.

Anne herself is very astonished about what has happened but manages to keep her head very clear. She rationalizes that people would not accept what she was saying if she were to tell them the truth so she adapts to the environment and to society as it was a century ago and hence assumes the identity of this missing women Anne and moves ahead with her life.

The Twists Continue!

Although this little boy keeps her puzzled. She doesn’t know why she seems to be pulled towards him. She eventually finds out that this boy, who believes that Anne is his long-lost mother, is nobody else but her eventual grandfather, Eoin.

With time Anne starts to feel like home in Ireland and has developed deep feelings for Dr. Thomas. Dr. Thomas, meanwhile, is unsure of what to do in this situation. Although he also shares the same feelings for Anne, he can’t shake off the guilt he feels because of his loyalty to his dead best friend.

Wrapping Things Up

Amy Harmon has intricately described the political turmoil of the 1920s and done thorough research on the subject before using related events in her book. Many times authors portray their own political views and ideas and directly throw them on your head with their books. But in What The Wind Knows, Amy Harmon has beautifully used the political turmoil of the time in this very complex time travel love story.

What The Wind Knows is a whirlwind experience. An amazing story of love, loss, forgiveness, and belonging, and is going to be a delightful reading for people of any age.

Amy has nicely portrayed the chemistry between Anne and Thomas and the minute details of the growing attraction between them, she has done justice to both these characters and the ending of the novel is absolutely satisfying and appropriate and fulfills every single expectation of all readers.

This amazing book portrays Amy Harmon’s capability and creativity of writing across a few different genres.

What The Wind Knows By Amy Harmon Quotes

“But the wind and water know all the earth’s secrets. They’ve seen and heard all that has ever been said or done. And if you listen, they will tell you all the stories and sing every song. The stories of everyone who has ever lived. Millions and millions of lives. Millions and millions of stories.”

“Faeries come take me out of this dull world. For I would ride with you upon the wind, Run on the top of the disheveled tide, And dance upon the mountains like a flame.”

“So many opinions and so few solutions. And all the opinion in the world doesn’t change the past.”

“There are some paths that inevitably lead to heartache, some acts that steal men’s souls, leaving them wandering forever after without them, trying to find what they lost. There are too many lost souls in Ireland because of politics. I’m going to hold on to what’s left of mine.”

“I can’t imagine all men love their women the way I love Anne. If they did, the streets would be empty, and the fields would grow fallow. Industry would rumble to a halt and markets would tumble as men bowed at the feet of their wives, unable to need or notice anything but her. If all men loved their wives the way I love Anne, we would be a useless lot. Or maybe the world would know peace. Maybe the wars would end, and the strife would cease as we centred our lives on loving and being loved.”

What the Wind Knows PDF and Where to Find It

What The Wind Knows by Amy Harmon is available online through the Kindle edition here.

If you’re into time travel, history, and romance this would be a great book for you to read.

If you’re looking for something a little different – maybe something a little lighter or a little more simple – be sure to read our “The Upside of Falling Down by Rebekah Crane Review” here.