Where Is Your Bookmark: A Peek Into The Wind Knows My Name & Other Friday Fun

I had planned to start this one earlier in the week, but reading time has been scarce. I hope to dive into it this weekend.

A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. Hosted by the amazing Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader.

 

A sense of misfortunate hung in the air. From the early morning hours, a menacing breeze had swept through the streets, whistling between the buildings, forcing its way through the cracks under doors and windows. [opening of The Wind Knows My Name]

I love the imagery in these opening two sentences. They carry a definite sense of foreboding with them.  

A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Our wonderful host Freda of Freda's Voice is on a break, and Anne of My Head is Full of Books  has stepped in to host! 

There were no guerillas in El Mozote, only farmworkers from the village and surrounding areas who flocked there in search of safety when the soldiers flooded in. But there was no safety to be had. [page 56 of The Wind Knows My Name]

This is going to be a heavy read, but I am sure worth it. I look forward to my book club's upcoming discussion of it. 

The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende, translated by Francis Riddle

This powerful and moving novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea weaves together past and present, tracing the ripple effects of war and immigration on one child in Europe in 1938 and another in the United States in 2019.

Vienna, 1938. Samuel Adler was six years old when his father disappeared during Kristallnacht—the night their family lost everything. Samuel’s mother secured a spot for him on the last Kindertransport train out of Nazi-occupied Austria to the United Kingdom, which he boarded alone, carrying nothing but a change of clothes and his violin.

Arizona, 2019. Eight decades later, Anita Diaz, a blind seven-year-old girl, and her mother board another train, fleeing looming danger in El Salvador and seeking refuge in the United States. However, their arrival coincides with the new family separation policy, and Anita finds herself alone at a camp in Nogales. She escapes through her trips to Azabahar, a magical world of the imagination she created with her sister back home.

Anita’s case is assigned to Selena Duran, a young social worker who enlists the help of a promising lawyer from one of San Francisco’s top law firms. Together they discover that Anita has another family member in the United States: Leticia Cordero, who is employed at the home of now eighty-six-year-old Samuel Adler, linking these two lives.

Spanning time and place, The Wind Knows My Name 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. [From the Publisher]

Does this sound like something you would want to read? If you have read it, what did you think?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. It is hosted by Linda Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell and Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About. Join in by answering this week's question in the comments or on your own blog.

What is your favorite thing about winter? 

Winter is not my favorite season. It's probably my least favorite of the four. But there are certain days, when I'm sitting by the fire, twinkling lights hanging on the tree, hot cocoa in one hand and a book in the other, my daughter and husband curled up under a blanket with me, wearing my fuzzy socks, and a cat on my lap on a rainy day when it's my favorite season ever. 

What is your favorite part about winter? 

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Have you ever asked yourself, "Why did I buy this book?" (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

I generally know why I bought a particular book, but then it may sit on my shelf unread for a long time. Years even because there are so many other books I want to read too. And then one day as I'm going through my books, selecting ones to donate because my shelves are overflowing, I come across it and realize my interest in it has passed. Or perhaps it was a book I bought, read, and did not care for (most likely didn't get far in as a result). I still know why I bought the book, but I may wish I hadn't. This last doesn't happen too often though, thankfully.

What about you? 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading!

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