The Wind Knows My Name is a masterfully crafted novel that seamlessly weaves together the lives of two unforgettable characters, Samuel Adler and Anita Díaz, who are separated from their families by very different circumstances but bound by their shared quest for family and home.

Set in Vienna in 1938, the story begins with a five-year-old Samuel Adler and the heart-wrenching disappearance of his father during Kristallnacht. As the shadows of Nazi-occupied Austria loom over Samuel's family, his mother makes the difficult decision to secure his place on a transport train to England. With nothing but a change of clothes and his beloved violin, Samuel embarks on a journey that will shape the rest of his life.

Fast forward to Arizona in 2019, and we meet Anita Díaz and her mother, fleeing danger in El Salvador and seeking refuge in the United States. Their arrival coincides with the family separation policy, and young Anita finds herself alone in a camp in Nogales. To escape her harsh reality, she immerses herself in Azabahar, a magical world of her imagination. Alongside Anita, we follow Selena Durán, a dedicated social worker, who enlists the help of a determined lawyer in her search for Anita's mother.

The author expertly intertwines past and present, seamlessly shifting between the experiences of Samuel and Anita. Their individual journeys are emotionally compelling, highlighting the resilience and strength of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable challenges. Through their eyes, we witness the sacrifices parents make for their children and the indomitable power of hope that drives them forward.

The historical backdrop of Nazi-occupied Austria adds a layer of depth and poignancy to Samuel's narrative. The author's meticulous attention to detail and historical accuracy transport readers to Vienna in 1938, allowing us to witness the harrowing events and feel the weight of the characters' experiences. The parallels between Samuel's journey and Anita's displacement in modern times serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by refugees and the enduring human spirit that refuses to be extinguished.

The Wind Knows My Name is a love letter to the resilience of the human heart and the unbreakable bonds of family. The prose is beautifully written, capturing both the innocence of childhood and the profound wisdom that emerges from life's trials. The author's vivid descriptions and evocative imagery bring each scene to life, allowing readers to feel the emotions and immerse themselves fully in the characters' journeys.

This story is a timeless tale of resilience, hope, and the power of the human spirit. Through the interwoven stories of Samuel and Anita, the author reminds us of the sacrifices made by parents and the enduring strength of children who never stop dreaming. It is a poignant and captivating novel that will resonate deeply with readers long after the final page has been turned. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a profound and heartfelt reading experience.

This is such a dark story, I didn't know what I was getting myself into.
I love Isabel for shedding light into South and Central American history and politics. Really threw me for a loop with the story starting off in WW2 for a while. I was still hooked but El Salvatore got me anxious to find out what happens next. The audiobook is excellent to listen to and I enjoyed most of the characters. I wish there was more interactions with them with dialogue than statements in the book. I don't think it's as good as Violeta but a close second!

Oh, I loved loved loved this book. This was my favorite of all of the authors books that I read tying together, the horrors of the holocaust and the horrors of the child separation at our border. Was genius and so moving.

The Wind Knows My Name
The books began with Kristallnact in November 1938 when there was violence against the Jews in Vienna, Austria. Simon Adler’s Jewish parents decided to send him to safety in England and hoped to be reunited once the violence ended. Unfortunately both his parents were killed in the Holocaust. Simon had a few bad foster home placements before meeting a loving English couple who raised him and encouraged his musical talent.
In 2019 Anita Diaz and her mother fled the gang violence in El Salvador. However when they got to the US-Mexico border they were separated due to a US immigration policy. Like Simon, Anita, who was partially blind, had a few bad foster home placements. Then a social worker and a lawyer were able to place her with a distant cousin, Letitia. The cousin had been working as a live in housekeeper for the now elderly Simon Adler.
Simon and Anita, who had both been abandoned as young children, now found themselves living together. Meanwhile the attorney and social worker tried to find Anita’s mother in Mexico and her former home in El Salvador.
I did not enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed Allende’s book In the Dead of Winter. Both books exposed the lives of undocumented immigrants who fled dangerous Central American countries. However I did not find the characters in this book as likable as those in In The Death of Winter. Most people are aware of the large number of immigrants trying to reach the US via the Southern border today. The political solutions for this problem from the last few administrations have not always been humane or just. The problem continues to this day.
I received this ARC from the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

The wonderful Isabel Allende has written a very ambitious novel, twining several time periods and tragic times for children. Part one traces Samuel Adler, a violin prodigy whose parents manage to find a place for him on the last Kindertransport taking Jewish children to safety in England. He has some rough starts but finally finds a home and his way, even though his entire family is lost. Leticia and her father manage to escape El Salvador when the rest of their family is killed in a massacre. Salvadoran Anita is seven, barely-sighted, and separated from her mother at the U.S. border during Covid. Mexican-American Selena works for an advocacy group that pairs immigrant children with pro-bono lawyers.

The stories twist and tangle around each other in a general satisfying way but it's pretty clear that Allende finds family separation appalling. She gets heavy handed and starts telling, not showing. That being said, I don't think I can think of anyone who has described the plight of children separated from their parents. The children are always the ones who suffer. There's a lot of pain in "The Wind Knows My Name" and although it's not Isabel Allende's strongest work, it is worth reading.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for a digital copy if this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This a beautifully written book that shows how through generations children have been put through a lot and been taken from their families. But they continue to have hope for the future.
I liked the way this book flowed and how the timelines intersected.
This is a lovely book and would make for good discussion in a book club.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Wow. This book made me cry. Four stories, all so different but at the same time they all tell the same story: war and immigration. Isabel Allende is a master storyteller, and her characters are so rich in details that you can actually feel them.

“ No, we’re not lost. The wind knows my name. And yours too. Everyone knows where we are. I am here with you and I know where you are and you know where I am.” - Anita to Claudia - one of the most touching parts of the book -

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange of my honest review

Beautifully written with two absorbing storylines, Allende has provided us with a map of the ugliness in the world, while providing us with some hope. Samuel is from Vienna, where during Kristallnacht, his whole life changed. Part of the Kindertransport of European Jewish children sent to England for safety, leaving the comfort of their families, Samuel s story is moving and important. The second story line revolves around Anita, a young eight year old Salvadoran girl, separated from her mother, Marisol, at the border. Selena, a social worker with the Magnolia group, works to reunite parents and children cruelly separated at the border by the Trump regime. Using those two heartbreaking events in history elucidates the importance of studying these events to make sure they never occur again. Highly recommended, one of Allende s best yet. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I found the story of Samuel Alder the most interesting and compelling in the novel.
Allende weaves all the characters very creatively together. I didn’t particularly care for either Nadine or Camille.
I liked Letica’s snooping in the attic which revealed a lot of secrets. To have an attic to peruse!
Although Allende uses the pandemic as a significant part of the book, it didnt bother me because it wasn’t really emphasized, just more of a backdrop feature.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately, this was not, in my opinion, one of Allende's better stories. I felt the characters -- of which there are many -- had no dimensions and were totally lacking in emotion for their individual situations. As to the plot ... eh!?!

Not on my recommend list ... particularly when Ms. Allende has written so many good books.

The book begins with the Adler family in Vienna, 1938. Samuel is a Jewish six-year-old boy whose mother sends him on the last Kindertransport train out of Nazi-occupied Austria to England to save his life after their family loses everything during the Night of Broken Glass.

In 1981, Leticia’s family (and whole village) is murdered during the El Mozote massacre in El Salvador. Leticia and her father survive, so they flee the Salvadoran Civil War to seek refuge in the US.

Seven-year-old Anita Diaz is detained and separated from her mother in 2019 when they try to cross the US border. Dangerous men were after them in El Salvador, so her mother made the difficult decision to leave their country. Anita is blind, she’s alone at a camp and she doesn’t know what's going to happen to her or when will she see her mother again.

From Kristallnacht to a massacre in El Salvador, the main characters in this story have one thing in common: they are children who have endured inconceivable sufferings and that had to leave their country in order to survive. The characters are complex and real and their storylines are easy to follow. I love how Allende masterfully intertwined their lives at the end.

The book is rooted in tragic stories, but its message is one of hope, solidarity, resilience, empathy, and humanity.

This book is definitely going to my top ten this year and is honestly one of my favorite books by Isabel Allende.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley for an advance copy. This book was published on June 6, 2023.

A beautiful story that weaves the lives of a man who escaped war world II via the kinder transport eventually making his way to America, with the lives of two women who escaped El Salvador to try to escape gangs and massacre.

A different, but great read. Like any other writings of Isabel Allende, this book will make you feel. It had a different feel than other books, but not in a bad way. Definitely worth reading!

I seem to have a consistent problem with Allende's writing. For the most part, I feel emotionally detached from her characters. In The Wind Knows My Name, I loved the early chapters about Samuel Adler's childhood and freely admit that they made me cry. The rest of the book, not so much, and the end of the story felt rushed and incomplete.

Allende's books are always so beautifully written and this is truly not an exception. I loved how the stories in this book and the characters were all effortlessly woven together. While the story covered is heavy, it's really a story of hope, healing, and resilience. I thought it was really powerful to compare the two stories of children being separated from their families due to inhumane policies.

This is a beautifully written book that explores the similar effects the evacuation of children in WWII and the separation of families trying to get into the US from El Salvador. Samuel Adler was about 6 when he was evacuated to London from Austria on the kindertransport and he never saw his family again. Eighty years later, we meet Anita who is separated from her mother leaving the violence of El Salvador behind. The two meet and it is a heart-warming story.

I always enjoy the stories of Isabelle Allende, but this has become one of my favorites. It is a historical fiction that sweeps eight decades and follows four main characters. Although in the beginning I wasn’t instantly engaged, as the stories weaved together I fell in love. Anita is the heart of this story and I found myself invested emotionally in her plight and yearning for her happy ending. This book was a slow burn for me, but one that left me with a content heart and much to think about. ❤️ Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of this book.

Beautiful! There’s so much that I loved about this book. Personally, I am a big fan of books that jump around chronologically and character POV. This one was done is such a way where it almost felt like a puzzle, which was slightly slow at first but then impossible to pull myself away from at the end. I loved literally all the characters in this story (at least all of them that have a pov or a main role. There are some bad eggs that I don’t like!). Sweet old Mr Bogart and precious Leticia and, most of all, the wonderful Anita. It all ties together so nicely. It’s both happy and heartbreaking, but a reminder that we get through hard things together.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was the influence of politics and Covid-19. It’s minor but enough to rub me the wrong way. It just didn’t add anything essential to the plot and it felt like a way for the author to insert an opinion (and I don’t think I’m the only person in this country that’s sick of talking about covid and politics).

Overall, magical. Life can be tremendously difficult, but there are wonderful people out there to help us through.

Excellent, powerful telling of the experiences and resulting trauma of children separated from their parents as the result of politics and violence. While the story explores the lives of several people, the most central were Samuel’s losses in the Holocaust and Anita’s loss of her mother at the Mexican border while trying to enter the U.S.

I appreciated the story and its ending. However, I had some frustration reading because the chapters were sometimes long and disparate, before the characters eventually met each other.. While each view was powerful, the flow of the story was uneven, and I had to skim earlier chapters to remind myself of some characters’ backstories.

This is an important story based on true events. Thank you to the author for writing this story. I received and appreciated an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

When you pick up an Isabel Allende novel you know you're in for some beautiful writing and a moving story. That's exactly what this is. I enjoyed the different narrators as well as the incredibly touching and heart-wrenching story. It did feel like there was a lot going on at times especially with all of the different stories being told but stick with, its worth it!