What the Wind Knows Kindle Edition

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!

*There may be mild spoilers visible throughout the review*Final rating: 4.5/5This ended up being way more enjoyable than I anticipated. I went in expecting a standard romance and while the primary focus is on a romantic relationship, it was also the story of the love between friends, a grandfather and his granddaughter, and a mother and her son. These relationships added such a sweetness and depth to the story and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I appreciated their inclusion.I'm not terribly familiar with this turbulent period in Irish history, but it provided a perfect background of tension and uncertainty. With so many people on edge, there was a natural uneasiness between the characters with various ones involved in opposing sides of the conflict. Not only was the history of Ireland during the early 1900s a major theme of this book, but traditional Irish folklore (such as the tale of Oisín and Niamh) was woven throughout as well. I loved how Annie was able to use these stories to both entertain and explain. It was beautifully done.I really loved the three main characters and the relationships that developed between them. Annie was compassionate, a quick thinker, and an engaging storyteller. (Although I hated how she tried to meddle in established historical events and insisted on revealing future information to people. That's "Time Traveling 101".) Thomas was such a gentle and nurturing soul. He demonstrated such loyalty to his friends which initially led him to be more wary of Annie and I appreciated how he was slow to trust her. The romance that did develop between them was simply heartwarming. I loved watching them draw closer together over time despite their previous feelings of guilt, loneliness, and insecurity. Eoin was absolutely precious and I adored him.I'm always a little wary of time travel in media because of how quickly and easily it can go wrong. However, I was truly pleased with how well the author handled the two timelines here as well as the various connections between them as they are slowly revealed throughout the story. I thought these were so clever and they will make a second reading even more satisfying. As I've come to expect from Amy Harmon's work, the writing was gorgeous and enchanting with parts of it reading like a fairy tale. Her text was further enriched by the addition of W.B. Yeats' poetry and the Irish folklore.While I really enjoyed this overall, there were a few things I didn't care for:◾ Sections of the story - particularly Thomas's journal entries - read like a history book as they listed off people and events relevant to this time period. It's clear that the author did some extensive research and based on her note at the end, this subject matters a lot to her. I acknowledge that some of that information was necessary in order to understand the overall tension in Ireland at that time, yet the amount of detail was excessive. It became tedious trying to keep track of all the names, dates, the different sides, meetings, treaties, etc. all while still focusing on Annie and her own journey. I found that even when I started skimming over those passages, my comprehension of the fictional story wasn't affected.◾ There were a handful of times when I felt like things could have been handled better. A couple of characters were randomly introduced but served no real purpose while others were not used as effectively as they could have been. The pacing was a bit irregular with things happening very quickly then slowly then quickly again. At the beginning, the dates were all over the place (1976, 2001, 1916) which made keeping track of things difficult. (Yes, I realize this is a book about time travel, but I shouldn't have to take annotated notes in order to figure out what's happening when.) Speaking of time travel, the "magic" of the traveling was never addressed and in some ways, I wish it had been.At the end, this was a beautiful story and I am so glad I decided to give it a try. I would highly recommend it to fans of "The Bird and the Sword" or "From Sand and Ash" - both by the same author.

Amy Harmon TOLD the story! Exquisite word smithing and intriguing time travel plot that flowed smoothly from start to finish. The easy to understand Irish history and integration of Yeats at the beginning of each chapter was brilliant. I usually read a book in one sitting, but this one was so good that I savored it, taking my time over several days. Of the many novels I've read over 55 years, this ranks in the top ten. I've not read this author before, but I'll be looking for more of her books. Great read!

Let me start by saying, I am a huge Amy Harmon fan! I’ve loved all of her books but this one takes the cake. I have always been very interested in Irish Independence so I really enjoyed learning about it from a story line POV, rather than a history book. Adding a famous character in there was a good touch to tie story lines together. The way the book is written is my favorite part of it all, Amy has such a way with words. The added journal entries, poetry snippets, and historical information made the story that much better. Anne is such a complex character and she experiences so much growth throughout the book. Thomas was the perfect, all around guy! A loyal friend, inquisitive, sensitive, kind, and supportive of those around him. Their love story was a sweet slow burn and achingly beautiful.I have read this book several times and every once and a while I long to experience the story again.

I loved reading this historical fiction novel about an important piece of Irish history. Michael Collins came alive for me as did the complexity of Ireland's fight for independence from Britain. I loved the story line as well....it helped to keep my interest and made me think about time and how so many issues are truly timeless. A great read!!

Romance maravilhoso. Ótimos exemplos de amor em família. Um círculo sem fim de responsabilidade e amor. Ótimo.

Beautiful book about love, loss, freedom. I loved the old and new Ireland from the author's lens. Magical tale of time travel and finding love across ages.

❛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’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!