What the Wind Knows Paperback – Unabridged, March 1, 2019

Spellbinding.....Enchanting....Transporting !!the wind and water know all the earth’s secrets. They’ve seen and heard all that has ever been said or done. And if you listen, they will tell you all the stories and sing every song. The stories of everyone who has ever lived.FABULOUS story from the esteemed coffers of Harmon, excelling in narration, plot and impact. ALL her books are seeped in colourful emotions, she has a piece of her soul invested in each book. But this book goes a step further. Or should I say several steps backwards!!This book's predominant emotion is HEARTACHE. For lost love, for the beloved country, for road back home. It's not just a simple love story between two people who meet like ships passing in the night of different eras, it's a deep connection that a person has with one's soil, roots that tether you to your heritage.“Don’t let the history distract you from the people who lived it,”It's not only historical, it's HISTORIC. Events we read about in yellowed pages are soaked crimson with blood, charred black with soot and disintegrating under water. Set against the backdrop of Irish uprising, the story is about deep love that Anne shares with Eoin, with Thomas. Friendships she shares with Maeve, Mick & Robbie. Her heart pulls her back and fate moves her forward, and somewhere in between is the Lough Gill. I've never had the pleasure of reading such a unique storyline. Not sure I'd ever try it, BUT for Amy Harmon. I trust my reader heart in her hands, assured that she would fill it with love in all its colours.It was the legend of Oisín and Niamh, where time was not flat and linear but layered and interconnected, a circle that retraced its path again and again, generation after generation, sharing the same space if not the same sphere.Harmon's words are wizard's spells, hypnotic and magnetic, once they're imprinted on your brain, you just stand there stupefied and stunned. I could decipher the story but couldnt believe my brain what i was reading, I actually had an out of body experience. My eyes were reading them, dancing on the curves and sharp edges of the alphabets, but they spring alive like a theatre reel in all Technicolor in front of me. The line between the world's blurred, past and present, fact and fiction. Was I living now or then, was I my own ancester,my predecessor, I was a descendant or precursor?Amy can tell you a tale set in 1912 in Ireland, or 1935 Italy or present day America, she makes you BELIEVE in its authenticity. Carefully weaving threads of fact and fiction, the tapestry she creates is colossal and breathtaking.“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,For I would ride with you upon the wind,Run on the top of the disheveled tide,And dance upon the mountains like a flame.”I felt my soul swooping over the fog choked Lough, over the bogs, green rolling hills and in Gravagh Glebe. I became Anne Gallagher, a woman lost between parallel worlds, she is losing her beloved grandfather -Eoin Gallagher and a promise made to him, to transport his ashes to Eirèan, his beloved Ireland. His soul has unfinished business, there is somebody waiting for Anne on the other side of time and Lake........he loves her too much, misses her too much and sheds tears for her.“There are some paths that inevitably lead to heartache, some acts that steal men’s souls, leaving them wandering forever after without them, trying to find what they lost,”As Anne steps on Irish Soil, her fate is sealed. The ashes swirling in the Lough grow wispy tendrils of fog so dense, her past and present lose boundaries and Eoin's plan is set into motionI can't even begin to describe what is the context and precis of the story. You wouldn't believe me if I told you, so you must go and read it yourself. The FEELINGS are all IN CAPS. There's NOTHING that won't touch you deeply, each mishap, each danger, each dread, multiplies till it just fills you to the brim. I fell in love, like absorbing, all encompassing, to-die-for love with Ireland.The land, the lore, the legend, the loughs.“Don’t let the history distract you from the people who lived it,”Thomas Smith crept in my heart, softly and slowly. Dignified and diligent, he's all that is good in the worldAnne, the one I met, is serene, kind, compassionate. Her soft smile, reticent love, powerful words just stole my breath. How strong is her mettle that despite finding herself misplaced and displaced, she strives to adjust her constitution. Hangs on to Eoin with focused love.Michael, I'd like to have read more as a man, rather than a political figure. Maeve is most sassy and Robbie the ever loyalist.I'm telling you, this book is literally OUT OF THIS WORLD. It took me a while to get into because the beginning is expansive and overwhelming. But as you read on, it's like you get closer to a huge painting. The characters etch out, their colours get more vibrant, the scenes become clearer and when you reach the halfway mark you will what to widen your eyes to take all of it in.Take your time to read. Don't rush it, savour the words, re-read some, let Yeats soak in your senses, join the dots of prose, poems, history and feelings.Now let me be, I want to stand on the shores of Lough Gill, strain to hear the whistling again....“They can’t forget, they never will, the wind and waves remember Him still.”Bless your beautiful heart and God bless your mighty pen Mrs. Harmon.6 stars for the Travelling Countess

I haven’t read a lot about the early days of unrest and uprising in Ireland, so I found this book very interesting. However, I really had to concentrate on this one - interesting family tree, but lots of characters - parents, grandparents and great-great grandparents to keep track of. I will say that the time travel plot was very well done. Amy Harmon is a great author.

After the death of her grandfather, Anne returns to his homeland in Ireland to scatter his ashes. On the lake, she is surrounded by fog, and then gunshots erupt. She is hit, tumbles into the water, and is rescued. Waking up, she finds herself in 1921 under the care of Dr. Thomas Smith. Dr. Smith is the guardian of a young boy, her grandfather. Amazed, and uncertain, everyone claims that Anne is the child’s mother, the mother who disappeared during the Easter uprising.I did not realize that this was a time traveling novel when I picked up the book. I generally avoid these types of books however, it really worked. The storyline was so well written, and well paced. I fell in love with the characters, and found myself rooting for Anne and Thomas. Overall, 5 out of 5 stars.

Amy Harmon is one of my favorite authors. All the books are unique, compelling, engaging and takes you to another time and place. This is definitely one of my favorite stories. I have never read a story like this one. It’s also so so romantic. I also really enjoyed learning about Ireland’s history. Read it!

4.5 starsPush through the slow and a bit confusing of a start, and you won't regret it. There are a lot of names and places being thrown in, which is where my confusion laid. BUT, keep going because the story really starts coming together and it all makes sense.I'm so glad I stayed with this book and was treated to a wonderful tale. What you'll get: historical fiction, mixed with a bit of fantasy/magical realism, all tossed in with incredible storytelling. With a familial Irish background, I was especially interested and really know nothing about this time in Irish history. Reading this led me down the internet rabbit hole of Ireland in the 1920s. The author did a great job pulling together real figures and situations from that time, and seamlessly mixed it with her narrative.I'd highly recommend this book!

I took away 1 star because there was a lot of sadness in this book. Also, it was hard to follow the political stuff. The author should have given us a better background on it. But the love story was great, and the ending was great. And the craftsmanship was amazing.

I’ve said it a few times, but I believe this may be the last time that I actually say it. This is the best novel I’ve ever read. The historical context, the beauty, the love, the way it’s written. It’s a masterpiece.