What the Wind Knows Book Club Kit
What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon is the official March 2023 pick for the Peanut Blossom Book Club for Recovering Readers.
I’m especially excited about this month’s book club pick, I’ve been looking forward to starting it for months!
I chose this historical fiction romance about Ireland not only because it falls during the month of St. Patrick’s Day but because my daughter and I are traveling to Dublin with her school marching band next week!
We’ve been planning for this trip for 2 years and I’m hoping to finish the book before our plane takes off. I downloaded the audiobook this morning and the Irish accent from the narrator has me even more excited, if that’s at all possible.
Want to see what our plans are? You can read about our 1-week Ireland itinerary here.
If you don’t already have a copy of the book, I encourage you to sample the audiobook, so far the narration has been absolutely wonderful.
But no matter how you read it, I hope you enjoy this month’s pick as much as I am so far!
P.S. Just joining us? Don’t miss the full 2023 line-up for our book club picks.
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Peanut Blossom Book Club
This book club pick is one of the awesome books from our ninth year of book club.
We’re still going strong! Want to join us?
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What is What the Wind Knows About?
“In an unforgettable love story, a woman’s impossible journey through the ages could change everything…
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?”
What the Wind Knows Discussion Questions
I believe the best book club questions to spark a lively discussion in your group help readers make personal connections to the story.
You can read about how to write the best book club questions on your own here, but hopefully these will get you started!
Question 1:
How did you feel about this month’s book? Did you enjoy the style of narration and time travel elements or did you find them distracting?
Question 2:
Do you think this story would have been as strong if it had been a 100% historical fiction book without the time travel? Or does having a modern character travel back in time add to the experience for you?
Question 3:
How do you feel about Anne and Thomas’ relationship? Would you have fallen for him, too?
Question 4:
Were you familiar with Michael Collins and the history of Ireland during this time period? Did you learn anything or was the history part uninteresting to you?
Question 5:
There are several moments where something Anne did in the past triggered a moment in the future, which one was your favorite?
Question 6:
What would be the hardest lifestyle difference for you to adjust to if you went from our modern age back to Thomas’ time? Medical, technology, beauty or fashion, etc.
Question 7:
What are your thoughts on the Yeats poems at the start of each chapter? What did they add to the story? Did you have a favorite?
Question 8:
Did you expect the ending to wrap up as it did? What might you have done differently?
Author’s Notes
If you enjoy a chapter by chapter reading guide as you read through a novel, Amy Harmon has a fantastic but very long list of questions to ponder as you read the book.
You can check it out here.
Host a Watch Party
Have you seen the movie Michael Collins with Liam Neeson and Julia Roberts?
This would be an excellent movie to watch with your book club after reading What the Wind Knows.
Book Club Party Menu
I think it is so fun to plan your book club dinner menu or dessert list based on the theme of the book.
For this month’s pick, use the Irish setting to plan your feast.
It could be as simple as baking a loaf of Irish soda bread or even easier blueberry scones to serve with coffee.
Or invite your book club friends for a full Irish dinner with my delicious Irish beef pot pie and adorable shamrock cookies for dessert!
You Might Also Enjoy
If you loved What the Wind Knows you might also like these other historical fiction books:
