A Swoon-Worthy Period Piece
What the Wind Knows is a heart-warming romance
By PHOENIX CARLISLE | Cover courtesy of the book publisher
What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon is an historic romance that tells the heart-warning journey of Anne Gallagher throughout the ages. Anne grows up hearing the exciting tales of her grandfather’s childhood during the Irish Revolution. Once he passes on, Anne travels to his childhood home not knowing what fate has in store for her.
She finds herself transported back to Ireland in 1921. The country is on the cusp of a revolution, leaving Dr. Thomas caring for injured Irishmen, confused Anne, and a young boy that Anne has a familiar love for.
As the revolution unfolds, Anne learns to adjust to her new life along with the new feelings she has for Thomas. Anne and Thomas learn to love each other through the hardships of raising a child in an uneasy time. Anne must learn to navigate her new life while caring for a child whose future matters more than she realizes.
Period pieces always make me swoon. The history buff in me knows/wants to learn everything that’s going on in the period. The hopeless romantic in me is blushing at the slightest hand touch.
We all saw the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, we know what they are doing. This book satisfied all parts of me. I got to learn more about the Irish revolution through Thomas and Anne’s perspective, giving me knowledge of an important event overshadowed by the Roaring ’20s and the Great Depression.
The love story was everything that I needed in a book. Thomas fought for Anne, loving her before he even knew it. Although Anne didn’t know how she felt, he waited. He always waited for her. Their love was tender and real. The love that says ‘I got you this because you said you needed it.’ The forehead-kiss love. The love that makes you soup when you’re sick. The genuinely sweet love; what makes everything better.
Thomas loves Anne sweetly and tenderly while she figures her heart out. I will always fall for gentle love stories.
What the Wind Knows is a beautiful story…with a confusing ending. I’ve read it more times than I’d like to admit, so you would think the ending would make sense by now. Especially now that I’m older, but it isn’t my ideal trope.
Confusing ending aside, you will fall in love with every aspect of this book, falling deeper as the story unfolds. I recommend this to anyone who loves period pieces and Outlander. This story is similar to Diana Gabaldon’s time-traveling series also developed into a television series.
Bundle up with a warm drink and this beautiful love story. Happy reading!
