Vienna, 1938. Samuel Adler is five years old when his father disappears during Kristallnacht – the night his family loses everything. As her child’s safety becomes ever harder to guarantee, Samuel’s mother secures a spot for him on a Kindertransport train out of Nazi-occupied Austria to England. He boards alone, carrying nothing but a change of clothes and his violin.
Arizona, 2019. Eight decades later, Anita Díaz and her mother board another train, fleeing looming danger in El Salvador and seeking refuge in the United States. But their arrival coincides with the new family separation policy, and seven-year-old Anita finds herself alone at a camp in Nogales. She escapes her tenuous reality through her trips to Azabahar, a magical world of the imagination. Meanwhile, Selena Durán, a young social worker, enlists the help of a successful lawyer in hopes of tracking down Anita’s mother.
Intertwining past and present, The Wind Knows My Name tells the tale of two unforgettable characters, both in search of family and home. It is both a testament to the sacrifices that parents make and a love letter to the children who survive the most unfathomable dangers – and never stop dreaming.
Sigh, I didn’t want this epic novel to end. Isabel Allende has gifted us another diamond of a read, one that will certainly sit on the crown of her illustrious literary career. It’s no surprise she’s sold 75 million copies of her novels and is a New York Times bestselling author; her tales are deep, resonant and timeless. The Wind Knows My Name is no exception, weaving together past and present, and tracing the ripple effects of war and immigration.
From the outset, heartstrings are pulled. With expert descriptions and a sense of constant momentum, Allende takes us to the atrocities that occurred to the Jewish community of Vienna in November, 1938. At the centre of this is a young and lovable five-year-old who is hidden by a kind, impactful neighbour, and, in the weeks that follow, is made to leave his family for the sake of his safety. While each of the main characters is given a clear voice and their own POV in this exquisite tale, it’s Samuel who remains at its centre.
Time jumps as we shift into the second major thread of the story, where we become attached to the beautiful Anita. She’s filled with a sense of magic that helps her through the loneliness and terror of her separation from her mother in their journey to make a new home in the United States.
The protagonists’ stories unite when both characters end up at the now-aged Samuel Adler’s home in Berkeley, California. For both Samuel and Anita, it’s imagination and creativity that fuels their resilience of spirit and allows them to survive in the toughest and most heartless of situations.
Powerful and moving, The Wind Knows My Name is broad in scope and rich in feeling, heart and hope. It’s an ode to creativity and courage, and its huge soul will enrich your own.
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