After her beloved grandfather dies, Anne Gallagher travels to Ireland to spread his ashes on the lough where he grew up. She falls into the water and finds herself in 1922. Everyone believes her to be her great grandmother of the same name who disappeared years before. While living and falling in love with the town doctor, Thomas Smith, Anne connects with some famous characters in history fighting for Irish freedom.
Adding historical details to fiction novels can be difficult in not making them dry and boring, but from the perspective of a reader totally ignorant of Irish history, a little more historical background would have helped. Michael Collins appeared in the book like some celebrity hero and I had no idea who he was. But the rest of the story was interesting and kept me hooked.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

" Freedom is the ability to go wherever your heart calls. "

What the Wind Knows is a story that will stay with you long after finishing this book. I read the story some time ago and it stubbornly stays in my head and don't want to leave, and I love it. Amy Harmon I bow to you. You wrote a magnifient story, a book that touched me deeply, a gut- wrenching heartfelt emotional read that had me in tears more than one time.
Meet Anne Gallagher. She's a successful american author with irish roots. She's on her own journey to, she doesn't know exactly to what. All she knows is she wants to bring the ashes of her deeply beloved grandfather home. She finds herself years and years back in time and has to build a new life. And she meets the love of her life, Thomas. They develop deep feelings for each other, but fate and karma have other plans for the two. They have the love of a lifetime, they're soulmates.

What the Wind Knows is a beautifully thought out, beautifully told and excellent written story. A love that survives time and distance. Anne and Thomas' story gutted me to the core, put me through a roller coaster of emotions, had me in more than one ugly cry and then put me back together. It gave me all the feels and I loved it so so much.It's a captivating story, told in a dual POV and I highly, highly recommend the book. I wish I could give more than 5 stars.

This type of book is usually not my cup of tea but THIS one was so good! I loved the characters, the traveling, the poems beginning each chapter- all of it!! Loved it

My Thoughts:
Amy Harmon is one of my favorite authors. I've read all of her books, and loved most of them. Recently, I noticed that she had a new release that I hadn't had the chance to read yet, What the Wind Knows, so I decided to pick it up. It was just an okay book for me.

I was disappointed that I didn't love What the Wind Knows as much as Amy Harmon's previous books. I don't know if it was the characters, the setting, or the plot, but it just felt different from her other books. It dragged on a lot, especially in the beginning. Throughout the first half, it was hard to hold my interest. I found myself being bored, and my mind wandering while reading. Then I would have to go back, and re-read what I just read because I wasn't absorbing any of the information. It made for a very tedious reading process, and definitely took away from my enjoyment of the book.

There are two things that saved What the Wind Knows from being a DNF for me. The first one was that about halfway through the book, I switched to the audiobook. That helped immensely. Hearing the accents and everything pulled me into the story a lot more. It also made it seem like the plot picked up, and things got more exciting and action packed. Not sure if that's because of the audiobook, or because the plot actually did have a lot more action. The second thing that saved the book from being a DNF is that in my mind, it reminded me a lot of Outlander in terms of the plot, which is my favorite book of all time. I kept drawing comparisons between Anne's story in What the Wind Knows, and Claire's story in Outlander. There were quite a few. I kept listening, hoping to find more and more, and I did.

Although Amy Harmon will always be one of my favorite authors, I didn't like What the Wind Knows as much as I had hoped that I would. I found it to be boring, and hard to hold my attention. There were a few parts that I loved, and I really enjoyed the ending. If someone wants to read an Amy Harmon book for the first time, I recommend starting with one of her other books, such as Making Faces, or The Law of Moses. Both of those are two of my favorites. If you do want to read What the Wind Knows, I highly recommend the audiobook.

I give What the Wind Knows: 3/5.

This is one of my favorite historical fiction reads of 2019 ! This book is enchanting with such well crafted writing that the reader is drawn into the story . I loved every aspect of this book especially the time travel. It is a charming story that will win over every reader's heart and leaves you longing for more after the last page is turned. This story stays with you long after you finish reading it. It is equally compelling and emotional .
I was completely enthralled with Amy Harmon’s enchanting story of American-born writer Anne Gallagher.

Ann's beloved Grandfather died with the last wish to have his ashes spread in Ireland his childhood home. Anne goes to Ireland and soon finds herself back in the 1920s . She now lives in the world of her grandfather’s childhood where she uncovers a family history that she had previously researched as a writer. She comes to know people she only knew of in history as well as relatives new to her. She learns of the history of Ireland first hand the difficulties of the time. She comes to love living in this time, loves her new family and struggles with making it her home. Her turmoil is to decide to return or to stay.

.This is a most authentically told time travel story, I was engrossed from beginning to end in the story. I adored this book and look forward to further works by this fine author. Well done to the author in creating such a realistic view of Ireland and the 1920's. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment for all who enjoy time travel and historical fiction. Thank you for the ARC. My opinion is my own.

Annie is asking her grandfather about his mother that has passed away.he said the wind sings for you and knows everyone that has passed

”Don’t go near the water, love.
Stay away from strand or sea.
You cannot walk on water, love;
The lough will take you far from me.”


Wow. If I could leave a one-word review that would be it. Buuuut, since I'm a reviewer I suppose that won't cut it, will it? I know that people have been raving about this book. Hell, my girl Christie said that it is one of her top favorites, so I wanted to know if the accolades were true.

Timetravel in books is awesome. It gives an author the freedom to infuse the story with magic and fictional characters while adhering to history books. In this regard, Amy Harmon did an unbelievable job. The amount of research must have been insane. The author paints a picture of an Ireland ridden by revolution and violence but also the kind of patriotism that is written into people's DNA. I loved learning all the things I didn't know and reveled in the parts I did know.

The characters are so well fleshed out that I felt like they were old friends. I loved Anne's kindness, her unconditional love and forgiving heart. Thomas's tenderness with both Eoin and Anne, his love for his country, his readiness to help anytime, to think beyond the impossible and his belief in Anne and finally his pure love were just beautiful. I adored little Eoin and how his parents cared for him. Their love for one another was ageless, woven in the fabric of time.

“I fell so fast, so hard, and so completely. Not because love is blind, but because . . . it’s not. Love isn’t blind, it’s blinding. Glaring. I looked at you, and from the very first day, I knew you. Your faith and your friendship, your goodness and your devotion. I saw it all, and I fell so hard."

You'll get to spend time with well-known historic figures, get to know and love them, in a country that Amy Harmon describes vividly, the contemporary Ireland and the historic - you can see it before you, the soft hills, the green grass, the old buildings, the mist rising from the lake. It was superbly done.

WHAT THE WIND KNOWS is an unforgettable, timeless lovestory brimming with magic, tenderness and passion. Passion for people, for Ireland, for loved ones, passion between lovers. It is a history class that will make you want to know more and wish a little bit that time travel was real. All the 5-star-reviews are real. So I'll just add mine.

***His lips were so soft and shy, they slipped away without letting me greet them. I followed, frantic to call them back, and he hesitated, forehead pressed to mine, hands on my shoulders, letting my bated breath extend an invitation before he accepted it and returned. His hands slid around to my back as his mouth lowered and stayed, letting me feel the warmth and the press of his kiss, so real, so present, so impossible.***

I have always loved Amy Harmon. I have read everything she has ever published. Her historical fiction novels knock me off my feet. Whimsical.. Poetic. Beautiful. Heartbreaking. Powerful. She did not disappoint with What the Wind Knows. It was magical. This story is special and should be read.

I think the first thing you should say is that I’m not a time traveling fan. It’s too sci-fi for me. And as much as I love the romantic aspect of Ireland I know next to nothing about the country itself. I knew zero about the civil war in Ireland in the early 1900s. And even more surprising I still don’t know much about the war and the strife of the Irish people. Ann is the time traveling heroine of the book. I loved the way the story started between Ann and her Grandfather Eoin. That was a sweet relationship. But for me the story went downhill from there. It was a long book interspersed with with the story from Thomas Smith’s point of view and chapters from Ann’s point of view. A little confusing at times. I read the Author’s Note at the end of the book and maybe, just maybe, if I had read that first, I might have enjoyed the book more. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest opinion.

Frustrating and Compelling

I find it extremely difficult to put my thoughts into words. This book is many things; original, entertaining, informative and beguiling. As the author states , I hope it makes you want to make the world a better place.

To summarize i can say that Any Harmon once again made me fall in love with a story. She is such a gifted author and I am grateful for this book.

But I did find the pull between the history and the personal story between Anne and Thomas sometimes frustrating. However, I applaud the originality of this story.

I absolutely love this story.
The book is very well written and I was hooked from the very beginning.

If you are looking for a Historical Fiction/Historical Romance with time travel in it then i do highly recommend this bo0k.

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? 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

4.5★★★★Stars

Genre: Historical Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Female

Annie Gallagher was devastated after the passing of her grandfather. She promised him she will do his last wishes. So she goes back alone to the place she wished she would have gone with him.

After traveling the world as a writer, Amy thought she’s seeing it all. But now she was not too sure, the history of her family was something she wanted to get to know more. Annie finds herself in an entire different year and don’t know how to deal with it all.

I absolutely loved this story, the timelines, and all the characters. My most favorite person was Thomas Smith, he was perfection and so carying. I take it back I love few other characters too haha. I’ve only wished I had answered to few questions but other than that I truly enjoyed the story and the love romance.

Overall, What the wind knows is a story of family, love, and friendship. Readers who enjoy time traveling historical romance will find this book appealing.

I loved this book and all the wonderful characters in this world. I'm a lover of historical romance so it was perfect for me. This is a timeless love story of Anne and Thomas with a little bit of fantasy. I was so invested in the story of Ireland on the brink of civil war, Mick fighting for a country they all love. Amy Harmon just has this amazing way of telling stories that I can't get enough of.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful read historical fiction with a touch of fantasy.A book so well written drew me right in up to the last page.This author writes so beautifully looking forward to her next book. #netgalley #lakeunionpublishing

"A Love That Goes Beyond Time"

So I thought for sure this was going to be a solid 4 star read, but that last chapter totally made me bump it up to a 5. I liked this time travel romance, because it was different beyond what I have read before. Amy Harmon has a way with words that are so beautiful especially with the poems in this story. I can't wait to read more of her work. I listened to the audio and Saskia and Will did an amazing job.

Annie Gallagher felt empty after she lost the only person she ever cared about. The loss brought her to Ireland where her ancestors originated. She never realized how her family connections were steep in history until she unwittingly lived it herself from an unexpected perspective.

In Romance world full of alpha a-hole, Thomas Smith was a breath of fresh air with his proper gentlemanly ways. I loved how generous he was in taking care of people he held dear.

Anne was a lost soul until she found what she didn’t know she needed. For someone flung into the unknown, she adapted very well and I loved seeing her navigated her new daily life. I also liked how she was involved with the people/situation without being in their faces.

I love history in general, but modern political history is never something that appeal to me. And there were a lot of it in this book. I had a hard time caring about it in the first 80% of the book especially with the way it being told felt too detached. It only felt less like a history lesson when it became more personal with the characters towards the end.

With that said, absolutely loved the overall storyline with how the characters connected in present and past. I felt invested with the three main characters and even some of the supporting characters.

What the Wind Knows is a wonderful tale of family, friendship and love. It would appeal to readers looking for an intriguing time travel historical romance.

This book absolutely blew me away! From the very first page all the way to the very end, I was swept up in Amy Harmon’s beautifully crafted, enchanting story of American-born Anne Gallagher, who travels to Ireland for the first time in her life to fulfill her beloved grandfather Eoin’s dying wish to have his ashes spread in the lake at his childhood home. Once there, overcome by grief and memories of her grandfather, Anne finds herself pulled back into time to the 1920s -- a tumultuous time period in Ireland during its fight for independence, which she had researched and read about extensively as a writer back in 2001 but never dreamed that she would experience firsthand. She wakes up in the world of her grandfather’s childhood, where she is reunited with him as a little boy of 6 years old, and after being mistaken for his mother, she gradually uncovers a complex family history that she inadvertently becomes a part of when she falls in love with the boy’s guardian, Thomas Smith. Soon, her past and future start to intertwine as she encounters people she only knew of in history as well as relatives she never even knew she had. In the end, the struggle becomes a question of whether she should – or could – stay in a time period she doesn’t belong in but has become home for her.

Let me say straight out that I’m neither a fan of time travel stories nor historical romances – I’ve read books in both genres and to be quite honest, very few have ever had an impact on me emotionally or captivated me enough to make me continue thinking about the story and characters long after I’ve finished reading. Well, there is a first for everything I guess, and this book is the first time travel + romance + historical fiction novel that has truly won me over. This book awed me in the fantastic way it was able to weave the elements of these 3 genres so seamlessly into a story that was both compelling and emotional, with characters that felt so real and a time and place in history that felt so authentic, it drew me in completely, to the point that I felt like I was actually right there with Anne, living in her world for the few days that I was engrossed in the story.

This was a book that tugged at my heartstrings, made me cry and made me smile and basically made me feel the entire roller coaster of emotions that a great, momentous read has a way of doing. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that I fell in love with nearly all of the characters in this story…not only that though, I also fell in love with the writing -- a feeling that is impossible for me to describe accurately and to which I can only say is something that needs to be experienced for yourself.

Amy Harmon is an absolutely talented writer -- to be able to weave the elements of time travel, romance, and historical fiction into such a complex tale and do it so brilliantly is a momentous feat in and of itself and Harmon absolutely nailed it! I can’t wait to read some of her other novels that I’ve had on my TBR for ages already and yes, I am a most definitely looking forward to what she comes out with next!

This book is highly recommended -- one that was a 5 star read for me from beginning to end and that I already feel like re-reading, which is not something that happens often with me (though I will refrain from re-reading because I have too many other books I need to get to). In case you are still debating whether to read this one or not, I will leave you with these words that pretty much sum up my feelings towards this book: beautiful, unforgettable, and absolutely well-done!

Received ARC from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley

Amy Harmon is one of my favourite authors. Her multifaceted gift of writing includes historical novels, inspirational romances and young adult fantasy.
What The Wind Knows is an unforgettable love story!
Anne Gallagher travels from America to Ireland to scatter her grandfather's ashes. While dusting his ashes in the lake something terrifying, yet magical happens. She travels back in time where she finds echoes of history that had long been forgotten.
What The Wind Knows is a fictional account loosely based on the author's ancestors and the events during the period of reformation and revolution in Ireland in the early 1900's. Her love of Ireland is evident and her characters are realistic and memorable.
As per the author's wish I now have a greater respect for the men and women who came before and a desire to make the world a better place.
Perfection!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

What The Wind Knows is a slow moving beautiful story rich in history and historical events. It blends history, romance and a touch of fantasy into one book.

“Thomas was still caught between the memory of them and the prospect of me, and I was snagged between a future that was my past, and a past that might be my future.”

Annie is a wonderful heroine, both vulnerable and strong. She rolls with the punches and adapts to whatever is thrown at her.

“I am changed utterly. Irrevocably. And though love is indeed a terrible beauty, especially given the circumstances, I can only revel in all its gory gloriousness.”

This story has a very Irish Outlander feel and Ireland and its history play a giant part, coming to life like another character in the book.
-4 Stars!-
-Diane-