What the Wind Knows

Spellbinding.....Enchanting....Transporting !! 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. FABULOUS story from the esteemed coffers of Harmon, excelling in narration, plot and impact. ALL her books are seeped in colourful emotions, she has a piece of her soul invested in each book. But this book goes a step further. Or should I say several steps backwards!! This book's predominant emotion is HEARTACHE. For lost love, for the beloved country, for road back home. It's not just a simple love story between two people who meet like ships passing in the night of different eras, it's a deep connection that a person has with one's soil, roots that tether you to your heritage. “Don’t let the history distract you from the people who lived it,” It's not only historical, it's HISTORIC. Events we read about in yellowed pages are soaked crimson with blood, charred black with soot and disintegrating under water. Set against the backdrop of Irish uprising, the story is about deep love that Anne shares with Eoin, with Thomas. Friendships she shares with Maeve, Mick & Robbie. Her heart pulls her back and fate moves her forward, and somewhere in between is the Lough Gill. I've never had the pleasure of reading such a unique storyline. Not sure I'd ever try it, BUT for Amy Harmon. I trust my reader heart in her hands, assured that she would fill it with love in all its colours. It was the legend of Oisín and Niamh, where time was not flat and linear but layered and interconnected, a circle that retraced its path again and again, generation after generation, sharing the same space if not the same sphere. Harmon's words are wizard's spells, hypnotic and magnetic, once they're imprinted on your brain, you just stand there stupefied and stunned. I could decipher the story but couldnt believe my brain what i was reading, I actually had an out of body experience. My eyes were reading them, dancing on the curves and sharp edges of the alphabets, but they spring alive like a theatre reel in all Technicolor in front of me. The line between the world's blurred, past and present, fact and fiction. Was I living now or then, was I my own ancester,my predecessor, I was a descendant or precursor? Amy can tell you a tale set in 1912 in Ireland, or 1935 Italy or present day America, she makes you BELIEVE in its authenticity. Carefully weaving threads of fact and fiction, the tapestry she creates is colossal and breathtaking. “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.” I felt my soul swooping over the fog choked Lough, over the bogs, green rolling hills and in Gravagh Glebe. I became Anne Gallagher, a woman lost between parallel worlds, she is losing her beloved grandfather -Eoin Gallagher and a promise made to him, to transport his ashes to Eirèan, his beloved Ireland. His soul has unfinished business, there is somebody waiting for Anne on the other side of time and Lake........he loves her too much, misses her too much and sheds tears for her. “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,” As Anne steps on Irish Soil, her fate is sealed. The ashes swirling in the Lough grow wispy tendrils of fog so dense, her past and present lose boundaries and Eoin's plan is set into motion I can't even begin to describe what is the context and precis of the story. You wouldn't believe me if I told you, so you must go and read it yourself. The FEELINGS are all IN CAPS. There's NOTHING that won't touch you deeply, each mishap, each danger, each dread, multiplies till it just fills you to the brim. I fell in love, like absorbing, all encompassing, to-die-for love with Ireland. The land, the lore, the legend, the loughs. “Don’t let the history distract you from the people who lived it,” Thomas Smith crept in my heart, softly and slowly. Dignified and diligent, he's all that is good in the world Anne, the one I met, is serene, kind, compassionate. Her soft smile, reticent love, powerful words just stole my breath. How strong is her mettle that despite finding herself misplaced and displaced, she strives to adjust her constitution. Hangs on to Eoin with focused love. Michael, I'd like to have read more as a man, rather than a political figure. Maeve is most sassy and Robbie the ever loyalist. I'm telling you, this book is literally OUT OF THIS WORLD. It took me a while to get into because the beginning is expansive and overwhelming. But as you read on, it's like you get closer to a huge painting. The characters etch out, their colours get more vibrant, the scenes become clearer and when you reach the halfway mark you will what to widen your eyes to take all of it in. Take your time to read. Don't rush it, savour the words, re-read some, let Yeats soak in your senses, join the dots of prose, poems, history and feelings. Now let me be, I want to stand on the shores of Lough Gill, strain to hear the whistling again.... “They can’t forget, they never will, the wind and waves remember Him still.” Bless your beautiful heart and God bless your mighty pen Mrs. Harmon. 6 stars for the Travelling Countess

I’d call this a “paranormal historical love story” set in 1921 in battle-torn, patriotism-whipped Ireland-- and also in 2001 USA. Two nations and two ages separated by a lake in Ireland. OVERALL What drew me to this book? (1) The author is talented with a breadth of wisdom not always seen in novels. (2) The history and people of Ireland have always had a grip on my spirit. Irish dancers, writers and poets imbue the people. I love the mood-setting quotes from William Butler Yeats. (3) The narrator, Anne Gallagher, has an endearing and unassuming quality to her, a spirit of adventure and deep emotions. TIME AND PLACE. It seems to me the author patterned her story after Madeleine L’Engle’s A WRINKLE IN TIME which used quantum physics to credibly explain time and place travel for her characters. The incredulous twists and timelines in WHAT THE WIND KNOWS didn’t have that kind of support. Can your grandfather become your son? And can a woman get pregnant in the transported world and then give birth 80 years later in her first world? Hmmmm…fantastic! PLOT. Historical events and characters make the plot, not tightly woven, many twists, and long pauses for displays of love in families, among the Irish rebels, and the two main characters, Anne and Thomas. This is the kind of plot I like best – real life and unpredictable. SUSPEND DISBELIEF—for a time readers need to emotionally believe the world the author has created and live in it. But the new world has to “hang together.” Did it? For me in places it didn’t. Still, I enjoyed how the author tried to overcome that difficulty. An admirable job, she did! AND YET – I surely enjoyed the history made alive in characters who seemed real to me, heroes, villains, just people trying to cope with harsh and oppressive times. I PLAN TO READ THIS BOOK AGAIN. It is artistic with many passages that offer poignant and lasting truths. I revel in those. The prose is usually factual and straight-forward, although the author at times overdoes it: “…playing Russian roulette with my heart….tears leaked from my eyes.” Minor stuff. TRUE HISTORY. “This was a hard novel to write,” the author admits and gives credit to people who helped her to “get it right.” Although a few characters are fictional, and some a blend of real and imagination, the main ones are true to history. As a writer myself, I envy the skill displayed. RECOMMEND? YES, for most readers. Is this a perfect novel? Not quite. It’s meant for imperfect readers like me! True—I felt at one with the author and plan to read her other books. Thanks so much, Ms. Amy Harmon.

My grandfather was born in Dublin in 1904 and although he wasn't Irish (German ancestry), I'd always wondered about his history in Ireland and how it fits into my own life story. I decided a pilgrimage of sorts was necessary to figure it out. I took my sister with me and we visited site after site, enjoying as much of Ireland as we could in a 3 week period. We visited every tourist site we could, and some usual locations on a whim. Many of those sites are mentioned in this book. We started at the Cliffs of Moher, spent days visiting Malahide Castle, Dublin castle the national museum's, New Grange and Galway, Cork, Muckross House and Middleton. We skipped the Blarney stone (who really wants to kiss something thousands of others had kissed in the last week?? It sounds unsanitary to me). We also skipped Waterford, but visited the Drombeg standing stones, the Ring of Kerry and the Giants Causeway. We traveled east to west, south to north and still didn't have time to see it all. We never did learn about our heritage, but I'm guessing that will be another opportunity. Another trip. Another adventure. Ireland is a beautiful place with a LOT of history, from the famine to the loss of the Titanic, its played its part in our lives. I wish I'd read this book before our trip. It would've explained a little more of the political conflicts that remains today. Belfast and northern Ireland remain part of the British empire and there are still some who are angry with the capitulation and presence of British influence on "Irish soil". As few as 20 years ago there were bombings and killings in protest of British rule. The Irish are a proud and traditional people. Wool sweaters, caps, fried fish and potato dishes, traditional music and dance are all present, but a new element has been added in spades: tourism. It seems that Ireland has recently increased 10x its business in tourism. It's growing as well. You can't see a clear skyline anymore, every city is dotted with cranes as they tear down the old and rebuild modern structures. This book was wonderfully written, making all of the history come to life. I enjoyed the characters, the plot (the conflict, the history, the romance), the language & tradition, the recollection of a past that isn't my own, but it felt SO real. Reading this story placed me there in the middle of the love, laughter, & heartache. I enjoyed the book tremendously. I WILL look for other books by this author. I'm usually content with a book when I'm done, this book made me crave more of Ireland. Maybe I'll get to visit the Emerald Island again someday.

What the Wind Knows ESPECTACULAR!!! I love everything about this book, the cover, the writing, the story, the characters.. everything was amazing.. this is the type of story that will leave you speechless and wanting more, with your feelings all over the place because is just beautiful and emotional.. Amy has a way to take you into beautiful journeys, with intriguing characters that will unfold and come alive with each chapter of the story.. What the wind knows was not the exception, it had so much depth and love.. I felt like it was about trusting blindingly in the people you care and love.. but also how love is so powerful that can transcend walls, people, wars and even time. “It is as if we always were and always will be, as though our love and our lives sprang from the same source and will return to that source in the end, intertwined and indistinguishable. We are ancient. Prehistoric and predestined.” Anne was a strong heroine, trying to find her place in life after her grandfather passed, she was desperate to find a connection to his grandfathers' memories and her roots. she travels to Ireland not knowing what she will find, not knowing if she will get those answer she has been seeking, but life has something ready for her, or someone who will bring back all those moments but also something more.. “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." Anne and Thomas, the love, the understanding the intensity of what they felt were always very present in the pages of the book a very beautiful relationship that transcended in every way possible.. one of those loves that is not repeated and so rare to find. “He would be the character that grew on the reader, making them love him simply because he was good. Decent. Dependable.” I fell in love with Amy's word since the very first time I read one of her books and What the wind knows just made me love her writing, even more. I highly recommend this book, especially to all of us who feel and love so strongly.. Everything about it is so magical and deep. is a very romantic novel with the right amount of angst and situations that will make you want to know more. “we keep the people we love in our hearts. We never lose them as long as we can remember how it felt to be loved by them.”

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.

Anne travels to Ireland to learn more about her family’s history and she’s inexplicably pulled into another time period. There she’s confused for a woman who went missing years before and whose friends and family have always wondered what happened to. This is a story about Anne adopting her new identity and living in a time when she knows a lot of what’s going to happen before it does as Ireland is in the middle of huge historical issues. She’s also finds herself drawn to the man who found and cared for her, Thomas Smith. This was a good book. It’s very historical and I learned a lot. I found myself rereading paragraphs and going back to refresh my memory on things as it’s not an easy read. Not for someone like me, who has a hard time reading historical books quickly. It took me a bit longer to get through as I found myself stopping and taking breaks. It wasn’t something that I fell into and breezed through but once I finished and looked back I did enjoy the storyline. It was simply different then I thought it would be since I thought I’d be getting something more focused on the romantic aspect but that wasn’t the case. I always love Amy Harmon books so I had no worries about that. I’ve just learned she’s the type of author who does not right the typical romantic love stories and that’s fine. It’s nice to mix things up. I’m glad I read it as I always am with her books. Would I read it again? Probably not. Would I recommend it to other readers and my followers? If you’re into to historical novels with a large amount of fantasy and a small amount of romance then absolutely yes. As the author states in her notes it’s a blend of fact and fiction.

When I first heard Amy’s latest book was up for pre-ordered, I immediately one-clicked. This was months before I knew anything about the book. I just knew my favorite author wrote it and hence an automatic purchase and read. A few weeks into, what to me, seem to be an interminable wait; I found out that it was a historical romance. A small fear gripped my heart as I’m not big on historical romance or historical anything. Shortly after, I heard that not only was it a historical romance, but it was a time travel historical romance. I’m not going to lie my heart crashed. Shortly before the release of the hardcover on Feb 1st I won an ARC. (Advance Review Copy). I was thrilled, ecstatic, just a little afraid, and completely beside myself. It took me a day to put my fears away and pick up my kindle. On a rainy Sunday afternoon, I grabbed my kindle, my blanket, and a nice cup of tea and snuggled in my favorite reading chair. I wanted to give this book the chance it deserved because Amy has never let me down. I’m not sure how many readers really look at book covers, and if they do, do they see a preview of things to come? I’ve found that they tell a story before reading the pages between the cover. I meticulously studied the cover and saw a woman who had suffered. There was pain and loss in her eyes, but yet they were strong and hopeful. I knew our heroine was going to make it. And so I read…… The relationship between Annie and her grandfather was endearing. And their love and support for each other was unmistakably. I cried when he took his last breath. I wanted, perhaps needed, to hear and know more. One of my favorite parts of the book was how seamlessly the author pulls Anne in 1921 Ireland and how she arrives there. I was so connected with everything Anne was feeling and seeing that it really took me by surprise. Thomas has to be one of my favorite heroes, his love for Anne is intense and he is a good, caring and brave soul. I loved that about him. And Anne, what a great character. She was what she needed to be when she needed to be. As a woman from 2001 traveling to the past I felt she was able to keep up with the standards of the time without jeopardizing who she really was. Oh and the journals. Love the journals. We all need to learn to keep them. It is a small portal to our future generations. There is a fine line when history is being told because as humans we can easily point fingers, but Amy did an amazing job without accusation or picking sides. “Don’t let the history distract you from the people who lived it” I read the book in one seating. Laundry was not finished that day, messages were not returned and dinner was ordered in. After finishing I wasn’t sure how I felt. To be candid that feeling was there for days, and can honestly say I can’t remember the last time a book did this to me. Overall I give this book 5 stars. Amy is a magical storyteller. Her words flow and put you in a spell between fact and fiction. I was sad to see the story end. I was left wanting more, such much more. Not because the book was unfinished, but because the story was so beautiful written. If you haven’t yet ordered, I urge you to do so now. You will not be disappointed. In fact, I loved it so much, that a kindle copy is not enough; I just ordered the hardcover book (I hear the cover is gorgeous) and the audiobook. A first for me. Happy Reading!

3.4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ Stars “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.” Writing 5 Stars - Amy Harmon’s writing is absolutely beautiful and brilliant per usual. Zero complaints in this department. “It is as if we always were and always will be, as though our love and our lives sprang from the same source and will return to that source in the end, intertwined and indistinguishable. We are ancient. Prehistoric and predestined.” Characters 3.5 Stars - The characters were GOOD, but for the most part I felt fairly neutral about them. “Thomas was laughing, his hair falling into his face, and I couldn’t look away. I was dizzy with love and faint with hopelessness.” Plot 3 Stars - This story was very historical, and based around various incidences in Irish history. The time travel was cool, but I wasn’t satisfied with the lack of explanation of HOW it happened. Many of the historical aspects bored me, to be perfectly honest. “I’d often wondered, absorbed in piles of research, if the magic of history would be lost if we could go back and live it. Did we varnish the past and make heroes of average men and imagine beauty and valor where there was only dirge and desperation?” Setting 3 Stars - Ireland in the early 1900s. It was nice, but definitely didn’t feel rich and vivid to me. While reading, I didn’t want to *be* there myself. “But loving him—knowing him—was as implausible as loving a face on a screen. We were impossible. In a moment, in a breath, it could all be over.” Unputdownable factor 2 Stars - This book took me MONTHS to get through. I like history when it’s presented in an engaging way. Morgan Llywelyn has written some fantastic Irish history and folklore books that I have loved. But with this one, many times I felt as if I were in class hearing a lecture or reading a history book. Yes, Amy’s writing made many of the scenes engaging, but then there were others that just dragged. Dialogue 4 Stars - No complaints, really. I wish there were more dialogue and less narrative. The historical narrative is where I got bogged down most of the time. I never thought I’d 3 Star an Amy Harmon novel, but here we are. Overall, the writing was beautiful. Anyone who loves Irish history will enjoy this story.

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!

I finished a book this afternoon that has completely floored me, and I genuinely don’t even know where to begin trying to do it justice. Amy Harmon’s What the Wind Knows is, without a doubt, one of the most fascinating, captivating, and awe-inspiring stories I’ve ever read. As an Irish lass living on this wee island, I’ll be honest that I tend to avoid books set here. Too often they miss the mark, gloss over the reality, or feel like a version of Ireland that doesn’t quite ring true. But Amy Harmon is the absolute queen of research. Every page felt authentic, respectful, and deeply rooted in the heart of our history. This is the first romance I’ve read set in the aftermath of the Easter Rising, during such a turbulent, painful, and defining time in Ireland’s past, and following a woman who is quite literally transported back to the 1920s made it all the more powerful. I was completely immersed in it. The detail, the atmosphere, the tension of the unrest… it all felt so real it was like stepping through time alongside her. And the love story itself was just breathtakingly beautiful. The connection between the two main characters felt so real, so tender, and so deeply human that it stayed with me long after I turned the last page. The slow burn was stunning. I genuinely had no idea how it was all going to end, but my God, I was gripped the whole way through. But more than that, this book feels like a love story to Ireland itself. Like an ode to the island, to its people, to the passion and poetry that seem to live in the very air here. You can feel the love for the land and its history woven through every sentence. What truly stayed with me was the magic of it all and the way history and story intertwined with something almost otherworldly. The poetry in the writing. The depth of emotion. The characters who felt alive in a way that makes it hard to let them go. The love, the loss, the quiet moments, the heartbreak and magic… it all lingers. I’m sitting here now, honestly just staring at the walls, trying to figure out how to put into words how phenomenal this book is, and clearly failing miserably. Some stories entertain you. Some stay with you. And then there are the rare ones like this… the ones that settle into your soul and refuse to leave.

One of the most beautiful stories I have read in a while. Full of love, and history, and the intricate relationships that make us human.

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