The Wind Knows My Name

The Wind Knows My Name is the 22nd novel by Isabel Allende, published in 2023 by Ballantine Books. The book has some elements of magical realism, for which Allende is known, but is predominantly a work of historical fiction.

In addition to her works of fiction, Allende has authored five works of nonfiction, including memoirs. She grew up in Peru, moving to Chile during her childhood and later to Bolivia and Lebanon. After Chile’s president Salvador Allende, a relative of Isabel Allende’s, was overthrown in 1973, she moved to Venezuela and helped arrange passage for people fleeing the new Chilean government under General Augusto Pinochet. Throughout her life, Allende has been a humanitarian with close personal knowledge of the struggles of Central and South America, which are predominant topics in this novel. Allende has won numerous awards for her fiction and nonfiction, as well as for her humanitarian efforts.

A national bestseller, The Wind Knows My Name follows events in 1930s Vienna, Austria, 1980s El Salvador, and the modern-day US. The plot involves the intersecting lives of Samuel Adler, a Jewish man forced to leave Vienna in 1938; Leticia Cordero, a Salvadoran woman who migrated to the US from El Salvador following the El Mozote Massacre;

Unlock all 54 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App

+ Printable PDF

+ Literary AI Tools

Unlock Full Library