This is a difficult but necessary read by the one and only Isabelle Allende. Her writing takes you along on the journeys of her characters where by some magic things feel as if you're living them or remembering them. This isn't my favorite Allende book but she never misses for me, and this story is no exception. Highly recommend.

As you read this book, I'm warning you, you will begin to feel a heaviness you may not have carried before. A heavily cloaked, to-the-bone type of weariness is something you may experience, as the you read about the devastation that was Kristallnacht. As you envision the scenes at the Mexico-U.S. Border that continue to this day - scenes in which screaming children are ripped from their parents and then stored in cages until the US government has the time to say, "Whoops, we kinda lost any paperwork that would help us find your parents. but well, I'm late for my afternoon Starbucks run, so kinda not my problem right now." Yes, all of this may make you feel heavy. And if you're an open-minded sort of person who enjoys learning and wants to constantly strive to educate yourself, you may start looking at your own behaviors. The way you change the station on the news when the border crisis is covered, the way you know the Jewish people were treated badly under the Third Reich, but don't exactly remember the details.

This is what it is like to read an Isabel Allende novel. Always has been. Allende takes the world as it is, not as it should be, not a fictionalized version, and she writes her characters into our imperfect world. She then blends magical realism with a strong political stance and the next thing you know, you're crying on the couch because you really could be doing more for people in need, you really could be better. You know it and you're pretty sure that somewhere, somehow, now Isabel Allende knows it, too.

In this novel, Allende tells multiple stories. The story of Samuel, shipped away from Vienna shortly after Kristallnacht to avoid the wrath of Hitler. The store of Anita, ripped away from her mother while trying to escape deadly violence in El Salvador. As their stories intertwine, we are reminded - in fact, it becomes impossible to ignore - there is always more we can do. Should do. Must do.

Personally, I've always found Allende's dialogue a bit forced, something just doesn't quite flow for me with her technical writing. But her stories? They more than make up for any small technical missteps. Beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous novel.

You will not be able to understand what some experiences feel like unless you go through them yourself. You could imagine what it could be like, but you would never know. Having to leave your homeland, being separated from your parents at a young age, feeling as if you are the only person left on this planet...

Adler was sent to England at the beginning of the WWII, even though his mother thought they could leave Germany behind together. He grew up as an orphan; he was taken in by a family with good heart. Anita crossed the MX-US border with her mom only to be caught by border police and be separated from her mom. Somewhat paths of these two were crossed and it was the best thing that could happen to either.

Isabelle Allende has the voice for family tragedies, relocated families, and war crimes separating parents from their kids. I liked how she connected two different separations and found the commonality in them: date changes, time passes, but it is still the kids taking burnt of what adults are doing.

I thought this was okay! I would be interested in reading something else by Allende as this was a bit on the shorter side and didn't feel like I couldn't stop reading it. Didn't feel too in depth and I wasn't too invested in the storyline and the characters.

Samuel Adler is 5 when his father disappears during Kristallnacht. His mother secures his transport to London to guarantee his safety from Nazi occupied Austria. Eight decade slater Anita Diaz and her mother flee El Salvador. This story intertwines the past and present with these characters searching for family and home. It is a slow read to tie the pieces together.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book blew me away! The story was so sad and yet Anita was a character with such hope and resilience. I am in awe of the story and the way all of the stories came together and intersected. The storytelling was wonderful and so powerful.

There is a reason Allende is such a popular author! She is a must read. I really enjoyed the book and the author! I highly recommend and enjoyed this book.

There are so many layers to this story!

Exploring themes of forced migration, sacrifice, loss, trauma, healing, and the creation of a found family, the author skillfully intertwines three distinct storylines to form a profoundly moving and heartfelt narrative that will resonate with your emotions. The narrative is elevated by the author's powerful prose, exceptional character portrayals, fluid storytelling, and masterful narrative technique, delivering a compelling and captivating reading experience. While the pacing occasionally varies, it does not significantly diminish the overall enjoyment of the book.

Despite the three characters' tales being situated in disparate timelines spanning decades, the author adeptly highlights the connections between historical events and contemporary politics and policies. This connection is explored in the context of the profound impact on children whose lives are shattered by violence, war, forced migration, and immigration policies and politics. The author paints a heart-wrenching tableau of the predicament faced by innocent children, compelled to flee their homeland, with their destinies and lives entrusted to those who may not always offer sympathy to their plight.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

War time fiction is often my favorite type of historical fiction. The characters are faced uncompromising, big fateful decisions. Often what people face wouldn't happen at all during peace time. This story is unique in that it has a parallel storyline of 2 wars in different decades as well as different parts of the world. Several races are involved yet the human condition remains the same. Children cherished by their parents still end up orphans due to the wars' violence. I enjoyed all of the characters and twists in this story. The author wove everything together in a fascinating way. This is an amazing candidate for a Book Club!

Thanks netgalley for giving me the advanced copy so that I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 💛

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗲𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗲’𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻.

This novel is about two immigrant children growing up decades apart undergoing the trauma of upheaval from country, home, and family. The tale begins in 1938 with the Adlers living in Vienna as the Nazi’s are becoming more powerful and antisemitic policies are in effect. Rudolph, a family physician, and his wife Rachel, who teaches music to supplement their income, try their best to suppress their fears, to keep Samuel, their five-year-old son from understanding the enormity of what is happening. An observant, mature boy who possesses a rare musical genius, particularly on the violin, he cannot be shielded from the violence that is being unleashed upon their Jewish community, no one can. On the night of November 9th, during Kristallnacht (the November pogroms), their course is set, desperate to save her family Rachel knows her only choice is to send Samuel with other children on the Kindertransport train bound for England, despite her fear of the family splitting further apart. Making sure he can at least take his violin aboard; she tells him as soon as his dad gets home, they will be reunited in the pretty country of England and that she loves him. It is with great sacrifice and pain that she sees her only child off, forever. So begins his new life without his family, and the rest is a nightmarish history.

2019 Seven-year-old Anita Díaz alongside her mother Marisol escaped violent gangs in El Salvador, including a bad man who wanted to kill Marisol and made it to Arizona, despite being denied asylum, they entered illegally but not without injury. Marisol is detained and taken to a private prison in Texas, and soon Anita loses contact with her. A trial is set, but the child refuses to return to her dangerous country without her mother. Trapped in limbo, living in a group home for migrant children, she has a special way of seeing. She keeps hope alive and learns to cope with her loneliness and fears through conversations with her imaginary friend. She believes her angel will take them, and her mother once they are reunited, to Azabahar, a far better place than this world. Is everything she sees imaginary, or is she gifted? We learn about the trials of children like Anita and Samuel, things that would bring many adults to their knees. In time, Samuel and Anita come together, and he is reminded of the time in his life when he too had to say goodbye to his mother and was swallowed by the unknown. Samuel more than anyone experiences true compassion for the girl. It is a story about the plight of the displaced, what events force them to flee their homeland, and the resistance they are met with as well as the welcome some offer. It’s much harder to process thinking about children enduring it all, worse still when a parent isn’t there to comfort them. For both Samuel and Anita, it is endless, torturous waiting, left to imagine what has happened to their loved ones, and a child’s mind doesn’t harbor such darkness, as what happened to Samuel’s family after he fled. It is a book meant to be a voice for the children without country, disrupted lives trapped in a damaged immigration system through no fault of their own, those who have been forced to leave childhood behind too soon and how they carry their past forever, but with hope for a secure future.

Yes, read it.

Published June 6, 2023

Random House

I enjoyed this but admit it sometimes lost my interest. I appreciated the idea of tying two separate historical events together (protecting children during WWII and the current border crisis) but at times it felt disjointed. Overall a good read but not one that will stay with me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Isabel Allende is a masterful storyteller, and this book is no exception. I love how she is able to weave timeline and characters together across time and the world. Each character is written so thoughtfully and beautifully, that the reader cannot help being pulled into the story. Honestly, I think everyone should read this book. It deserves to be considered a modern classic.

Isabel Allende’s THE WIND KNOWS MY NAME combines historical and contemporary timelines, family, and a touch of magic to weave a tale that kept me enthralled. Allende is skilled at storytelling and tackling the unexpected. The storylines seemed to be parallel without a place to intersect, but slowly they come together leaving you to wonder how it was done so smoothly.
I discovered Allende many moons ago, during my undergraduate career, in Spanish, and have been a fan and avid reader ever since. Her novels never disappoint.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#THEWINDKNOWSMYNAME #ISABELALLENDE #BALLANTINEBOOKS #ELVIENTECONOCEMINOMBRE

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- Allende has been a hit or miss author for me, but this one was a mix of both. Allende has a writing style that can swoon even the readers who don't pick up a book often, like a siren call, but what lacks for me is the characters. it depends on what novel, but this book, i felt disengaged from the characters, but not fully knowing why. overall, it's a decent book, but it is not my thing.

THE WIND KNOWS MY NAME was another winner by Isabel Allende, who writes beautiful stories with lyrical prose. She has a way with words and pulls you into a story and its characters immediately.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review THE WIND KNOWS MY NAME.

This book broke my heart in the best way. I enjoyed following characters and exploring different time periods. This book was so tragic and sad, but I loved the exploration of human resilience and found family.

I really enjoyed this book. More than I was expecting to. Allende weaves multiple storylines together to creative a cohesive and powerful narrative focused on immigration, what it means to be human, and how we care for each other. We start in Austria in 1938 with Samuel’s story of separation from his parents and then follow Anita, in present day El Salvador who is also separated from her mother as they travel to the US. Helping Anita are Selena and Frank who add to the complexity and beauty of the story. I don’t want to give too much away about how all of these characters come together but I enjoyed how the author pulled them together and showed that beauty can come from ashes. But, we all have to pay attention and be moved to action.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Allende never fails to produce a work of relevance and her latest is another example.
The story begins in Austria and the plight of Samuel Adler, a Jewish man caught up in the horror of Nazism. Then, the plot switches gears and we are caught up in the current horror of immigration from Central America to the US. Yet, throughout the political and social upheavals of the past and the here and now, the humanity of people pervades. Moral principles prevail throughout the darkest times and those darkest times are brilliantly written.

Allende is a master storyteller and the beauty of her words brings the story home. The narrative stays with you long after you've finished the book.

I love Isabel Allende’s other books. This one has the same vibe and I was hook right at first. Unfortunately, as the story progressed, I had a hard time keeping interest. I was about 35% of the book and I can’t keep up. It was a DNF to me. The he plot line is very good I have to give that, even though I can’t tell how it ended. Slow burn and long narratives sometimes can be tricky.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

Thank you to Random House, Ballentine, and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

Isabel Allende has an incredible way of finding humanity in her stories of trial and tribulation. I know when I read her books that I will feel an incredible range of emotions. I especially loved The Wind Knows My Name because only she could take Nazi Germany, connect it with our current immigration crisis, and put together an incredible story of resilience, love, and human decency. Her characters are never perfect, but full of humanity and all that comes with it. Her books are tidy, with no extra fluff just to have fluff. You get the full story without it getting too much extra people or emotions; I love it.

Allende is always a must read and The Wind Knows My Name feels like another fabulous edition to her oeuvre.