A
Amy Harmon
What the Wind Knows
Synopsis
Anne Gallagher grew up enchanted by her grandfather's stories of Ireland. Heartbroken at his death, she travels to his childhood home to spread his ashes. There, overcome with memories of the man she adored and consumed by a history she never knew, she is pulled into another time. The Ireland of 1921, teetering on the edge of war, is a dangerous place in which to awaken. But there Anne finds herself, hurt, disoriented, and under the care of Dr. Thomas Smith, guardian to a young boy who is oddly familiar. Mistaken for the boy's long-missing mother, Anne adopts her identity, convinced the woman's disappearance is connected to her own. As tensions rise, Thomas joins the struggle for Ireland's independence and Anne is drawn into the conflict beside him. Caught between history and her heart, she must decide whether she's willing to let go of the life she knew for a love she never thought she'd find. But in the end, is the choice actually hers to make?
Genres
Characters
Anne GallagherProtagonist
A modern-day writer who travels to Ireland to scatter her grandfather's ashes and is pulled back to 1921, where she is mistaken for a woman of the same name who vanished years earlier.
Thomas SmithSupporting
A doctor and guardian to young Eoin who cares for Anne after her arrival in 1921 and becomes drawn into both her secret and the fight for Irish independence.
Eoin GallagherSupporting
A young boy in Thomas Smith's care in 1921 who will grow up to become the present-day Anne's grandfather.
Declan GallagherSupporting
The original Anne Gallagher's husband, killed during the Easter Rising fighting at the GPO.
Michael CollinsSupporting
Real-life Irish revolutionary leader who appears in the novel as Anne and Thomas navigate the fight for Irish independence.
Frequently asked questions
Is What the Wind Knows part of a series?
No. What the Wind Knows is a standalone novel. Author Amy Harmon has said she doesn't plan to write a direct sequel, though she has expressed interest in possibly writing a spin-off about a supporting character someday.
Is What the Wind Knows based on a true story?
The novel is fiction, but it was inspired by author Amy Harmon's own family history. Garvagh Glebe, the fictional estate at the center of the story, is named for the real townland in the hills above Dromahair, County Leitrim, where Harmon's own great-grandfather was born. The historical events of the 1921 Irish War of Independence, including real figures like Michael Collins, are woven into the story.