This is the first book I read by Amy Harmon, and I can see why she has so many fans. Her storytelling is lyrically and beautifully-done, and the characterization is strong. There’s a density to her writing I wasn’t expecting.

I received a gifted copy.

I absolutely love Amy Harmon's writing style, no matter what genre it is in.

In this magical time travelling mystical adventure, Anne Gallagher travels to Ireland to honor her grandfather's wishes and while waxing poetic over a poem, she is transported back in time and mistaken for a different Anne. Anne takes on this assumed identity and easily falls into the character while recovering for injuries she sustained.

A perfect mix of historical fiction and time travel while still appealing to any reader who wants to read a great book.

5 stars

This story was a struggle for me. After feeling engaged early, it was a bit of a downhill tumble from there. I felt shades of outlander in an Irish setting without the skill and detail of that story. For me, it lacked authentic emotion, with heavily laden dialogue and padding. I didn't feel connected to Anne or the Thomas and I feel that I should have felt at least a connection with Owen, but again, I didn't.

The pacing of the story was slow and I found myself skimming in the latter half. This one just wasn't my cuppa, didn't make traction with me and this kind of story is always going to have tough comparison.

I have been reading Amy Harmon’s books for over 5 years. Every book I have read of hers has been an emotional and heartfelt experience. I look forward to more books by Amy!

I loved this book and the characters. As Anne Gallagher mourns the death of her beloved grandfather, she travels to his childhood home in Ireland to spread his ashes. She is pulled into the Ireland of 1921, an Ireland that is on the edge of war, and a dangerous place to be. Dr. Thomas Smith finds the injured Anne and nurses her back to health. As Thomas' and Anne's romance blossoms we are introduced to the actual leaders of the fight for Irish freedom, including Michael Collins. An excellent historical romance, that provides insight into the Irish struggle.

4 stars. This one lags in the middle, but the story is fantastic. Review to come.

Due to being a high school teacher, I have been falling behind on reviews. Here are my initial thoughts.

I absolutely LOVED this book and every character and my review cannot do it justice. I was hooked immediately. Set in past and present Ireland, Amy Harmon weaved a magical love story with Irish history. The characters were endearing and the writing was beautiful. The author brilliantly constructed the many stories within this story so that the ending was perfect. This has easily become one of my favorite books which I will reread often.
Thanks to NetGalley, Amy Harmon and Lake Union Publishing for the free ARC of this book.

I have to say that I was reading along and I enjoyed it. I found the Irish history interesting enough. The time travel was good but midway through, it hooked me with it's love story. I really loved Thomas and Anne together. I was reading and thinking "please let them find a way". I ended up being fully satisfied with the story and all that it entailed.

I wasn't able to get into this one and I will probably try again at another time because I don't think it's an issue with the book per se, but sometimes you just can't click with a story and another moment it might be right.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another heart wrenching and unforgettable story by Amy Harmon. What a beautiful way to mesh two genres- historical and fantasy - together! Anne Gallagher, drowning in grief after her grandfather's death, visits his homeland Ireland and while visiting she yearns to know more about where her family is from. Her wish gets fulfilled quite literally when she drowns in a lough(loch) and travels back in time..a time when her grandfather was six years old.

Overall, I loved it so much. It broke my heart and pieced it back together again. If you loved Outlander, then you'd love What the Wind Knows.

"When you fall in love in the past, is there such a thing as tomorrow?"

*Disclaimer: this review may be heavily biased by my obsessive love for Amy Harmon.

Amy Harmon took two of my most favourite subjects: Ireland, and time travel and married them together to make this novel. Add to it, her way of tying in historical fiction and a love story and BAM I'm hooked. I'll forever think of this book, as the ending continues to baffle me. I do, once in a while, get a moment or two of clarity and think "Yes! Right, I get it now!" and then I'm back to being perplexed again (but in a good way).

My only regret is that I wish the story could have spanned...throughout many novels (hinting at a series here). She builds her characters and settings so well that I could read them endlessly. My heart is always sad when the novel ends. There are so many ares that she could draw out and build on relationships etc. Things happen so quickly and then just as quickly are resolved and then the story ends.

Its a beautiful story, just read the excerpt on the back if I'm not convincing you.

Consider this review a petition to Mrs. Harmon to write her first series.

4.5*
I loved this story, Amy Harmon did not disappoint. As I was reading this story I felt like I was living the story..

I could not get into this book. but to be fair, I was in a deep depressive funk and just could not read anything. I am going to try to read this again and will post a review then. I adore Amy's books and haven't disliked any that I have read, Matter of fact, this is the only book of hers I haven't read yet.

I don’t think Amy Harmon is the right author for me. Her writing style is always beautiful, but none of her books really captured me so far.
Same with “What the Wind Knows“. The writing itself was great, the story... not so much. I felt like I was reading a history book at points, and the romance was way too sudden for my liking.
I’m sure Amy Harmon fans will love this book, but it really wasn’t for me.

Heartbreaking, raw, deep, and incredibly honest novel about death, loss, and family.

Ireland is one of my favorite countries and I really want to travel to it one day. There were many historical facts that enriched the experience of reading this book muxh more rewarding and thought-provoking. The pace flowed naturally and predictably, without boring or overly complicated parts. I really liked the characters and their development, especially the protagonist. The ending was superb as well.

I do recommend this story if you are into Historical Fiction!

Present day Anne and her grandfather live in New York and her grandfather ends up passing away so she travels to Ireland where her grandfather is from and spreads his ashes in a lake. While she is doing that she gets time traveled back to when her grandfather was a child.

The historical parts about Ireland in that time period I felt were a little dry and boring. I loved the parts where Anne got to see her grandfather again when he was a little boy were soo touching. It made me want to be able to spend another day with my grandfather. The ending of this book was what made this book soo great and it had me in tears!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon.

This is the story of a young woman who, shortly after losing her grandfather, travels back to his homeland to scatter his ashes and revisit his history. But when she comes to after a random act of violence, she quickly learns that she is no longer in her own time. She has gone back to a time when her grandfather was only a young boy, and she might be able to help in reversing history...

I actually didn't finish this one. I can't even say that I didn't like it, there was a lot about it that I did like. I loved the poetry, I liked the characters. It's just that I've read it? And I couldn't seem to get myself invested in the story.

I hate leaving reviews like this because it's simply a personal preference thing. The writing was very well done, and you can tell that the author really did her research, it just wasn't for me.

In 2001 New York, thirty-something orphan Anne Gallagher’s grandfather, Eoin, who had cared for her since childhood, dies. Anne flies to Dublin, Ireland, to fulfill Eoin’s desire to have his ashes scattered on Lake Lough Gill, close to his ancestral home. Eoin had given Anne some family memorabilia including rings, photographs, and a diary. Anne is surprised to note from the photographs that she is almost a doppelganger of her great-grandmother. Anne wants to set a novel during the Irish Rebellion, and it’s as if her desire comes true: while scattering the ashes, she falls overboard and, when she is rescued, awakens in 1921, in Dr. Thomas Smith’s home. Thomas thinks she is the Mrs. Anne Gallagher who’d gone missing a few years ago. Anne wants to correct the misrepresentation, but when a six-year-old lad, Eoin, calls Anne “mother,” her heart melts. Furthermore, when Anne and Thomas are drawn to each other, she wonders if she can ever reveal her identity and return home.

Most historical fiction readers will recognize the similarity of this novel’s plot with that of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. However, in her author’s note, Amy Harmon reveals that she based this novel somewhat on her great-grandfather’s story, and the huge windmills near Lake Lough Gill inspired the novel’s title. The intensive research and the travels to the sites show in the faithful descriptions of the Irish countryside, towns, home, and cuisine of the era. The historical aspects of the Irish Revolution and civil unrest are woven into the plot seamlessly. Although Anne’s and Thomas’ narratives, in alternating chapters, need careful perusing, the strong writing helps keep us focused. While some good reasons are presented for Anne’s deception and staying on in war-torn Ireland, some readers might question her motives.

This review appeared in the HNR Issue 88 (May 2019)

I was simply put, blown away. (Yes. Pun indeed intended!)

First of all, I have to take a moment to say thank you to Amy Harmon and her publishing team at Lake Union, via NetGalley, for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this masterfully written, beautiful historical romance. Even if I was 6 months late to the party.

I have always loved the idea of time travel. Even in this day and age, it still vastly a mystery. An anomaly. Time travel intrigues the mind. For some, it's a Spiritual endeavour. A twist in the Cosmos. Magical.

This is the first novel I have ever read by Amy Harmon, and now I want more. I need more.

What the Wind Knows starts in 2001 in NYC. Anne Gallagher is overcome with grief and sadness with the impending death of her grandfather, Eoin (most commonly pronounced "Owen"), who is muttering nonsense in his last moments. Or so Anne thinks. Eoin's last wishes were to have his ashes spread in Louch Gill, next to his family homestead. In Ireland. Being Irish is a part of Eoin and a part of Anne, as she grew up learning the Irish language, the stories, the connections. But, she wasn't told everything.

In following her grandfather's wishes, and just after Eoin's ashes are scattered, Anne is somehow swept into another time, that of 1921. And is promptly shot. Dr. Thomas Smith is nearby and pulls her out of the water and saves her. Flabbergasted at who he saves. As she is a spittin' image of her GGGrandmother, Anne Finnegan Gallagher - who went missing 6 years previous during the Easter Rising. But, he doesn't know she is Anne Gallagher of 2001.

The relationship that blossoms between the two is endearing to read. The anguish in both their minds as they go about their days. Anne trying to be someone she is not, and Thomas seeing the differences and refusing to believe Anne is someone other than the Anne he knew. And Eoin, Anne's grandfather, who is but a 6 year old boy, and seeing his "mother" and latching on to her. (He was only a toddler when his father passed in the Rising, and his real mother was missing but considered dead.) The father/son connection that Thomas share, and the bond that Anne forms with Eoin is precious.

Near the end, it nearly broke me. But, Amy pulled through and made fall in love with this story even more. The blend of Irish history, and story embellishments is seamless.

I have heard/read people say this is similar to Outlander. I can't speak to that, as I haven't read the books. It is the same in such that it shares the time travel trope, and two people falling passionately in love with one another. However, What the Wind Knows is a story of its own caliber. One I plan to own and read over and over again.

I honestly can't stop thinking about it.

I’ve tried hard to get into Amy’s books but I finally have come to the conclusion they aren’t for me. Though she is an amazing writer, the content is not something that keeps me wanting to finish the book or excited to finish. Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me.