The Wind Knows My Name is the latest novel by famed writer Isabel Allende. Having read a few of her novels previously (City of the Beasts being my favourite) I was interested to see what she would write about next.

The story weaves perspectives and timelines together deftly. We first start with the terrible events of Kristallnacht in Austria, where Samuel Adler is a 6 year old boy. He is separated from his parents and his story of isolation begins here. Later on the tale of Anita, an illegal immigrant from Central America, and Selena, an impassioned social worker fighting for the rights of children get woven into the tapestry of this novel.

I hugely enjoyed this book and found it very moving. I would recommend reading with a box of tissues! Allende's characters are vibrant, the prose is both picturesque and heartbreaking at the same time and it brings up important issues of migration and what it means to be a refugee.

Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

The wind knows my name’ by Isabelle Allende begins with ‘Kristallnacht’ in Vienna, 1938. This results in the evacuation via Kindertransport of Samuel, a six year old violin prodigy, to England. Much later, In 1981 we meet Letitia Cordero, who escapes the El Mozote massacre in El Salavador, making her way across the rio grande to the US with her father. And finally in the modern day, there's Anita Diaz, a blind seven year old, also escaping El Salvador with her mother, but who comes up against Donald Trump’s harsh immigration policies and finds herself in legal limbo land at the border.

As you've probably surmised, this book is about refugees, and the parallels with history. People have always been fleeing, seeking refuge from persecution and violence and trying to find safety, but often coming up against hostile governments. You only have to watch the news for two minutes to see that we’re not dealing with it at all well - I look at my own country of Ireland and see some of the outright hostility that people have faced. There are often complex local issues, such as lack of social housing, making the subject more fraught.

So there’s no doubting the universal topicality of this book, with Allende determined to make a point about parallels between immigration during the 1940’s, the 80’s and the current day. Via multiple characters perspectives, against a background of social and political upheaval, Allende sets out to craft a book that interweaves these personal histories with a sweeping narrative arc. It’s a big ask, and for me it doesn’t quite work.

I found that the story jumps around too much, flitting from character to character at the expense of the pace of the narrative, which at times feels uneven. Some of the side stories don't really go anywhere and there were times when I found it a bit cloying and overly sentimental. The dialogue never felt natural to my ears and I groaned when a bit of magical realism started to creep in to one of the characters stories.

It sometimes feels like Allende is so determined to make a her salient points about immigration that some of the characters feel flat and the story fattened out with a bit of exposition (of which there is an awful lot). Too much backstory is something of a bug bear for me, and I tired of it early on.

Summary

But you have to admire the ground that Allende covers - immigration, detention centres, the role of the US in Central America, and human trafficking amongst others. Violence against women is also explored, with some strong and brave female characters. There are times when it is harrowing and certainly emotive, and I found the opening chapter in Vienna particularly moving.

But personally, I much preferred ‘A long petal of the sea’, her sweeping account of refugees fleeing the Spanish civil war to South America. I felt the storytelling was tighter with the characters more engaging and fleshed out.

I think there's a better book struggling to get out in ‘The wind knows my name’. For me there was too much exposition and it felt a bit rushed and with the seams showing between the various narratives. But If you are a fan of Allende, you'll enjoy it. The storytelling is in her usual flowing, florid style and you’ll know what to expect. And it’s got one of my favourites covers of the year.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC

Isabelle Allende never disappoints with her story telling.

In The Wind Knows My Name she introduces us to her characters one by one, they are from different countries, different cultures and span many ages. She then gradually intertwines their lives. Each chapter focuses on one character and takes you deep into their life. I will say that in the middle I did forget some characters back story when starting a new chapter, but a few paragraphs in and I was fine and as their stories progressed it became easier to keep up.

A story that will touch your heart, started at the beginning of WWII carrying you right up until the present day telling almost the same story of heart break but also of the very good that can be found within people.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read The Wind Knows My Name.

The Wind Knows My Name
by Isabel Allende

Allende examines the effects of war on two children, one past, one present in this truly sweeping saga. Beginning in Vienna at the outbreak of WW2 we follow Samuel Adler whose family lose everything during Kristallnacht and send him to London with the floods of children escaping the terrifying Nazi occupation.

In a second timeline we meet seven year old Anita, who has been separated from her mother by US immigration officials as she and her mother flee for their lives from El Salvador in 2019.

Their stories are populated by a cast of characters who endeavour to help them survive and re-establish their lives, from London and Nogales to New Orleans to San Francisco. Allende, as is her style, doesn't shy away from strong opinions on the political landscape, and while the WW2 narrative is not new, the details of the brutality of El Salvadorean government forces on it's people are horrific, and whether readers are only discovering for the first time about the US border conditions, particularly the policy of removing children from their families, or if they already know what's going on, it is an important message to include.

I'd be lying if I said that this was an immersive story. The backstories are too rushed for that, with lots of telling and not enough showing. It's clear that Allende has researched well, The facts are rattled off, list style (although I'm giving side eye to her assertion that Londoners survived on rice and beans throughout the war - maybe they swapped their bangers and mash with South America) but as the narratives begin to intertwine, she slows it down and we get lots more dialogue. It is definitely scope over depth overall though.

The magic realism, which I usually don't care for. didn't bother me. It fits well with the story given the themes. One element felt unnecessary to me. I don't understand what value Selena's relationships brings to the story, it feels like a distraction, but I love the lockdown scenes as Leticia and Samuel reinvent their relationship.

An interesting story that points the finger of blame at American policies but doesn't deliver as emotionally as promised.

With thanks to #netgalley and #bloomsburypublishing for the egalley
Publication date: 6th June 2023

I am a great fan of Isabel Allende. This novel looks at the migrant experience and the ties that can and do bind people together and the echoes the past plays down generations.

Migration into the USA from South America is a fraught and terrible subject.

One of the reasons I have always enjoyed Isael Allende's novels is her empathy, nuance and the way she can make a situation resonate with you.

In this novel I failed to find that spark. It was curiously unsatisfactory and rather painting by numbers. Somewhat contrived and lacking that magical realism that can sometimes pull a novel together when the coincidences are too large.

I was disappointed, but there were occasions when the novel was engrossing. For me the German character was the most involving and bravest.

'The Wind Knows My Name' weaves together stories of forced migration from 1930s Vienna to present-day Central America. The novel begins with Jewish doctor Rudolph Adler and his wife Rachel who, after Kristallnacht, reluctantly send their young son Samuel Adler on one of the Kindertransport trains to Britain. We meet Samuel again at various points in his life in the UK and US, but are also introduced to other seemingly unrelated characters, including Anita Diaz, a child migrant from El Salvador who has been separated from her mother at the US-Mexico border, Frank Angileri, a young hotshot lawyer well-known for helping notorious celebrities avoid facing trial, and Selena Durán, a social worker who advocates for child migrants facing deportation. As the novel progresses, Allende brings these characters together, and much of the second half of the novel takes place during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

This novel is undoubtedly well-researched, incorporating detailed historical background relating to the Holocaust, the El Mozote Massacre in 1981 and present-day conditions at the US-Mexico border. However, I found the plot rather sentimental and contrived, with a few too many improbably convenient coincidences (such as Frank's best friend working at the US Embassy in El Salvador who can magically make most of the bureaucratic barriers facing Frank and Selena disappear). A few sections of the novel are written in the first person from Anita's perspective and these really sing as we are able to imagine how a young child might process the trauma she experiences while being detained at the border. However, I found the majority of the prose very pedestrian and exposition-heavy, and there is a lot of clunky dialogue.

Allende explores interesting, important and timely ideas but I didn't feel it drew any particularly insightful connections between the different migration stories, and there are many better novels discussing similar topics, for instance Cecile Pin's 'Wandering Souls' or Valeria Luiselli's 'Lost Children Archive'.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this novel to review.

Another excellent novel from the pen of Isabel Allende. Combining the sweep of history with the struggles of innocents searching for a safer life, the book has all the elements that make the author a supreme storyteller. Possibly my favourite contemporary author. I must have this book as soon as it is released so I can read it again then pass it to my family and friends. Tremendous.

Novels about the experience of migrants and asylum seekers are becoming more common, given how an important a contemporary issue it is. Unlike many authors, Allende has personal experience of fleeing her country and seeking refuge abroad, and before that of helping others do the same.

'The Wind Knows My Name' begins in Vienna on Kristallnacht, the beginning of the end for the Jewish Adler family. Five year old Samuel manages to escape the Nazis on a Kindertransport ship, but must begin a new life in a strange country all alone. The novel then brings in two more stories of asylum seekers. Letitia arrives in the USA in the 1980s with her father, having avoided the massacre that killed the rest of her family by sheer luck. Then in 2019, another Salvadoran girl arrives illegally in the USA - partially sighted Anita, whose mother is fleeing after harassment and attempted murder by a gang member. Mother and child are parted, and months later Selena, a social worker, and Frank, a lawyer, attempt to find Anita's mother and secure the girl's future in America.

It does feel a bit fragmented initially and it's hard to see how it all fits together. However ultimately the different groups of characters do intersect to reach a moving conclusion. It is a touching story and Allende's style is always accessible and easy to read. However there are a few flaws. Allende is a tendency to tell rather than show, and skate over decades by drying describing them. Many elements are predictable or cliched, and the ends often get tied away a bit too neatly. I liked the characters, but they are not vivid enough to really love. There was also a slightly supernatural element which I didn't feel added much.

Certainly it highlights a really important topic and demonstrates again why asylum seekers need support and compassion and how particular policies in America were incredibly cruel. It would be nice to think people might read it and have their minds changed about opposing migration, but sadly I suspect those who want to read this will also be those who are already on the side of compassion. It is definitely a good choice to read if you are interested in the topics and period of history covered. It's not outstanding, so I wouldn't recommend to readers who don't have a particular interest, but it's perfectly readable if you do.

There’s so much history, culture and humanity in this book and it’s so easy to fall into the narrative only to emerge again when the book’s finished. I found myself half way to Googling the characters because Allende had somehow convinced me they were real people instead of fiction. I can’t put my finger on exactly how she does it, but it’s pure talent and a dash of magic.

Following the lives of this motley group of characters, we dart between timelines and locations until the narratives converge and they begin to interact. It was fascinating to watch, especially not knowing at the beginning how these paths could possibly cross. There’s so much depth to this story and it definitely pulled at my heartstrings, discovering the various struggles that each person had faced and the decisions they needed to make, the family they had lost, and the happiness they sought. Whilst it took me a while to warm up to a few of the narrators but by the end of the book I was deeply attached to them all and desperate to hug them.
This novel sheds light on very real and very serious political issues in different countries and it can be very hard to read but I have absolutely no regrets and would, as always, devour anything that Allende writes.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

This is a sweeping novel that is about the plight of refugees fleeing from danger, from conflicts and the children who find themselves lost. The story starts with Samuel who is sent on the Kindertransport to England and we follow him on and off over the years. We also have Leticia who escapes from El Salvador after the El Mozote massacre. We meet other characters, Anita who is a nearly blind 7 year old who was separated from her mother by the government policy after they crossed illegally into the US. It is Anita who tugs your heart-strings although the stories of all of these children who have lost their childhoods is incredibly moving. We also meet Selena who works with these displaced children and Frank, a lawyer, as they become involved with Anita and start preparing a case to stop her being deported. As we follow Selena and Frank, we gradually see the threads begin to knot together. Through these characters the author draws our attention to all these children who have had their childhoods ripped from them and are reliant upon the goodness of strangers. A story of loss and hope, of relationships. And as for the title, these children will never be nameless, the wind always knows them. This is the second Isabel Allende novel that I have read, I read Violeta last year and to be honest, I did prefer it. Violeta was a character that engaged me in a way that - with the exception of Anita - these characters never really did. Don't get me wrong, it is a beautifully crafted novel as the author leads us gently into this tapestry of lives. This is a novel that explores issues that are very relevant today.

I adore Allende's work. So far I have read The House of the Spirits, Daughter of Fortune, A Portrait in Sepia, The Long Petal of the Sea, Violeta, In the Midst of Winter, and Of Love and Shadows. All of Allende's novels tell a different aspect of Central and South American exploitation at the hands of militant regimes. This novel focuses on El Salvador and the brutalities that forced many to flee their homes in search of safety. But it also tells of the further brutality many of these refugees face after crossing the border into the USA; particularly the children who are torn from their parents arms.
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The story begins somewhat unexpectedly in Vienna in 1938, where a young Samuel Adler is one of thousands of Jewish children sent to England by parents who know there is no hope for them under Nazi occupation. Allende alternates between a few different characters and timeframes until we meet Selena, a Mexican-American social worker assisting child refugees to reunite with deported parents or else seek adoption within the USA. Here we also meet Frank, an Italian-American lawyer who swaps his free time between representing shady millionaires for becoming Selena's partner in fighting for children detained at the border. This part of the novel is set in post-pandemic America and feels so current that it's hard to believe the characters are fictional. Selena and Frank become embroiled in the case of Anita, a young Salvadoran girl separated from her mother and put into the care of questionable foster parents, and her missing mother. Allende is a master at knitting together several threads of seemingly separate stories to create one snapshot of society.
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Allende's writing always makes me angry because she makes you care deeply about her characters. There is also such warmth and nuance in the relationships she portrays. In this novel we see familial bonds that refuse to break despite immense pressure, new romantic bonds growing from nothing, and inter-generational friendships that transcend cultural and social boundaries. Allende pulls no punches when it comes to her barely concealed criticism of Trump's war on immigration, and his fumbling of the pandemic. This is a timely tale of Allende's favourite subject; the resilience and compassion we are all capable of when what and who we love is threatened.

Isabel Allende is a fantastic novelist whose work I admire and love. This story, however, is a bit different. It has an unusual atmosphere and mastery of words, but also laconicism and unique strength. For me, it's a story about how certain things in world history have been repeated for centuries, and humanity has not found a solution, and certainly has not learned that hard lesson. This is a book about children, people fleeing persecution, and people who are so desperate that they leave everything and run away in the hope of better circumstances. Meanwhile, it turns out that each hero struggles with misunderstanding, cruelty and hostility, carrying their demons and fear in their souls. This book is moving. It makes you think and certainly awakens valuable empathy and understanding. Thanks to this story, the author wants to show that regardless of times, threats, and places, people are
the same and want the same thing. Because what else is more important than family, a sense of belonging and security?

"The Wind Knows My Name" is a story about the search for identity and the struggle for self-discovery. It explores themes of gender roles, cultural identity, and the search for meaning and purpose in life. It is an engaging novel that offers a unique and thought-provoking perspective on the human experience. Allende's vivid characters and magical realism elements make the story come alive, and her themes of self-discovery and identity will resonate with readers of all ages and backgrounds.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Allende back on top form writing individual stories against the backdrop of history. For the full review see https://www.tumblr.com/joebloggshere/716150531171778560/the-wind-knows-my-name-by-isabel-allende-as-ive

This is an important novel dealing with themes related to migration of people, using two different timelines to highlight two different historical events. The first involves the character Samuel Adler, who is sent to England on the kindertransport at the beginning of the second world war. He is only five. The narrative makes you consider the trauma of not only being separated from your parents at such a young age, but when Samuel arrives in the UK, he does not settle with a foster family but instead is moved around from place to place. The first section of the book which focusses on Samuel and his back story reads almost like a biographical account of his life story. I was just tiring of this when the novel switches to the other timeline.

In the second timeline we are introduced to Anita Diaz who flees El Salvadore with her mother. When they arrive in the United States they are separated, as is the policy at the time in the USA, and at the age of seven Anita is alone and could be deported unless a social worker and lawyer are able to make a case for her to stay.

This is an extraordinary story. When you first read about each of the characters you cannot imagine how the plot will bring them together. They seem so unconnected. But of course it does come together in a very believable way. I was so invested in the characters and the storyline, that I didn't see the end coming. I literally turned the page and found I was reading the epilogue! The abruptness of the ending is what made me rate the book as four star rather than five - I wasn't ready for the story to end.

I highly recommend this novel. It is topical, captivating and emotional. Many thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'The Wind Knows My Name' by Isabel Allende.

'The Wind Knows My Name' is a hard book to review. Isabel Allende is renowned for her lush writing and knows no bounds, and I admired that the whole time and how she writes like utter perfection. The reason as to why I haven't given it a higher review than 3 stars is purely because I'm not one who likes going through different times and decades so the jumping did disjoint me personally but that's purely a me issue.

Another amazing novel by Isabel Allende. I absolutely love her writing! The way she weaves real world political situations into her tales just makes it so gut wrenching. I just wish this was longer!

Isabel Allende is the consummate storyteller- one of the best international writers and with a unique ability to somehow write with the lightest touch but deliver a deep and powerful message . This story explores the plight of refugees- Jewish children of the kinder transport and the young children of South American countries escaping tragedies and terror into the United States only to be treated as criminals upon arrival . Through a period of 80 years two stories collide - Samuel, a Jewish boy from Austria and Anita from El Salvador. Ms Allende’s story telling pulls you in and leaves you learning , loving and at times despairing about the world we live in ( that never seems to learn ) But ultimately, this is a story about convictions and beliefs in the rights of all to escape persecution and find peace. The book does not shy aware from the brutality of regimes and cruelty of man.This is a multi- stranded plot with the magical realism that Isabel Allende weaves within her stories which always add something unique. There is always a sense that you’d like more details about the events and lives of the characters but the balance is always just right to maintain a gripping plot and a satisfying ending . Another beautiful book . Highly recommended

‘Wish me well, say goodbye.
I’ll never tell I saw you cry.
Understand you’re not to blame.
It’s just the wind, the wind knows my name.’
Fairground Attraction.

Yet again, Isabel Allende treats her readers to a beautifully written, ambitious, soaring saga spanning many decades. It begins in Vienna in 1938, with deepening menace in the air and the knowledge for many that a deadly storm is coming. Dr Rudolph Adler is right to feel despondent as tonight is Kristallnacht with horror and havoc unleashed at every turn. Rudolph will never see his wife Rachel or young son Samuel ever again with Rachel taking the impossible but necessary decision to send Samuel on the Kindertransport to England. We follow Samuel for many years and he is a constant throughout the storytelling. We next meet Leticia who flees her homeland of El Salvador, following the El Mozote massacre of her rural villages. Through Selena Duran, who works for the Magnolia project for refugees and immigrants, and whose intervention with the help of a prestigious law firm in San Francisco we next meet seven-year-old blind Anita Diaz separated from her mother because of American government policy. Dogged investigative work by Selena and lawyer Frank Angileri links all these lives together in one of the most moving, poignant, compassionate stories Isabel Allende has written.

The novel starts chillingly with Samuel’s story and the chills keep coming as the author entrances and mesmerises in this powerful, pertinent and relevant story. Although much is tragic and breaks your heart and I lose count of the times I’m moved to tears, this is a novel ultimately of hope and humanity. It’s sprinkled with the trademark Allende magic from several sources, but especially from Anita. There are some truly memorable characters that are wonderfully and tenderly portrayed with empathy and understanding. The author brings Samuel, Leticia, Selena and Anita to life, weaving a powerful story around them, conveying their difficult histories so well and with a title that is so apt. Here we meet resilient children with stolen childhoods whose reliance on strangers is inevitable, and at times, it must feel to them as if only the wind knows their name. That hits me so hard making you reflect on the lottery of birth. The story connects these characters together but you do need to be patient and trust in the skills of this experienced author. I love the warmth of the developing relationships where age is of no importance and bask in the impact this has on wonderful Samuel.

Overall, yet again Isabel Allende stuns and moves me. In my opinion she is one of the greatest authors of her generation. I’m sure this latest novel will be another best seller and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bloomsbury for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Isabel Allende's latest offering is a profoundly moving novel of the immigration experience, set in a range of different locations and in 2 historical periods, in a narrative that draws the reader's attention to the similarities and connections between the suffering endured by children. In 1938 Samuel's father, Rudolph Adler, disappears in Vienna, Austria, during Kristallnacht. His desperate mother, Rachel, intent on saving her musically gifted son, organises his removal from the horrors facing them. With only his clothes and violin, a fearful 5 year old Samuel travels by Kindertransport to an unknown future in England. On arrival he faces a series of challenges, moving from home to home, ending up in a orphanage where the comfort of playing his violin is denied to him, he goes on to be taken in by the Evans, a Quaker couple.

At the end of the war, Samuel is unable to locate his parents, and goes on to attend the Royal Academy of Music. In 2019, a mother, and her daughter, 7 year old blind Anita Diaz, flee the terrors of their home in El Salvador to the United States with its deportations and zero tolerance of immigration, trapped at the the point in which the grotesque policy of separating families is being enforced, which results in them being split apart and Anita having to live in a cage alone, her only solace escaping into the beautiful realms of her imagination. It is a time of Covid and an America under the madness of Trump. It's a relief to find not everyone is ignoring Anita's plight, a social worker, Selena Duran, and pro bono lawyer, Frank, are determined to do all they can to help.

Allende writes with humanity and compassion of the sorrows and devastation of families broken apart, Leticia's experience as an immigrant, and the commonalities in the harrowing fates of powerless, yet remarkable children, not responsible for the circumstances in which they find themselves, yet who prove to have the inner resources that enable them to survive the never ending recurring and constant nightmares, from different parts of the world and in different time periods. This is a superb and emotionally affecting read, with its glimpses of hope and light, and which I have no hesitation recommending highly, and that I think will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.