The Wind Knows My Name

The Wind Knows My Name weaves a rich tapestry of historical events and personal stories, transporting readers from the heart-wrenching escapes of children across borders and across time. In 1938 Vienna, five-year-old Samuel Adler clutches his beloved violin as he boards the last Kindertransport train to England, leaving behind a war-torn and Nazi-occupied Austria. Little does he know that this instrument, and moments of musical solace, will be his only constant as he journeys through a tumultuous world.

Fast forward eight decades, and we meet seven-year-old Anita Diaz, who, with her mother, flees the violence and instability of El Salvador. They seek refuge in the United States, only to be torn apart by the contemporary family separation policy. Anita finds herself alone in a detention camp in Nogales, desperately holding onto hope and dreams of reunion. Her story echoes Samuel’s past, binding their destinies in the shared quest for family and home.

Intertwining the past and the present, The Wind Knows My Name is an unforgettable story of resilience and the extraordinary sacrifices made by parents in the face of unimaginable hardship. It showcases the courage of children who, despite the odds, refuse to stop dreaming and illustrates the universal search for belonging and love.

Praise for the author:

‘A grand storyteller’ KHALED HOSSEINI

‘A new novel by Isabel Allende is always a treat’ DAILY MAIL

‘What a joy it must be to come upon Allende for the first time’ COLUM MCCANN

‘A global literary great’ i