Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
A NEW novel about two children who surive war and immigration in different centuries hit the book stands yesterday.
Isabel Allende, the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea and Violeta has released her latest novel, The Wind Knows My Name, now available online.
The story is set in two time periods: 1938 and 2019. In 1938, five-year-old Samuel Adler is forced to flee Vienna, Austria, after his father disappears. Carrying nothing but a change of clothes and his violin, he boards a Kindertransport train to England, where he is taken in by a foster family.
In 2019, 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 US. 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.
The two children’s stories are interwoven, and they both find solace in music. Samuel plays the violin, and Alma sings. Their music helps them to cope with the trauma they have experienced, and it gives them hope for the future.
“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,” the author writes, in the synopsis for the novel.
The novel has been praised by critics for its powerful storytelling and Isabel’s ability to create unforgettable characters.
