Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende

58 reviews

rachel_athens's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende is a dual-timeline historical fiction centering around the impact immigration has on two children, one from Vienna in 1938 and the other from El Salvador who is in detention in Arizona in 2019. While the circumstances of young Samuel Adler leaving his mother on the Kindertransport train out of Nazi-occupied Austria to England is vastly different than young Anita and her mother entering the United States to escape an abusive man in their native El Salvador, the emotional impact and trauma of being separated from your family at a young age is universal. How Samuel and Anita's lives become connected is a beautiful story of grace and hope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

marla_arguelles's review against another edition

dark emotional informative tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Deportation

soupqueen's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Isabel tells more than shows, but the characters are engaging and the story is heart-wrenching. Could be a quick read if you wanted, or you can sit with it for a while.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Antisemitism, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Deportation

moondreaming's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Antisemitism, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

pomoevareads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Telling the stories of a young boy separated from his family during the time of Nazi controlled Germany and moved to England via the Kindertransport and many years later in the United States at the Mexico border where a young girl is detained separately from her mother and goes into the care system while their asylum is considered, The Wind Knows My Name is a special book.

I have been a reader of Isabel Allende’s since 2005/6 when I first read The House of the Spirits. I have read almost all of her books and they are all dear to me.  Much like her previous novels, Allende opens the door to parts of history (and present in this case) and creates an emotional tie to the periods.

The two timelines converge and if you don’t shed tears then what kind of monster are you. It is at once heartbreaking and heartwarming. Allende was first inspired to write this story after seeing a play about Kindertransport. From there she used some of her personal connections to a Foundation she started many years ago after losing her own daughter, Paula. This organization works to serve women and children and works with refugees along the U.S. border as well as internationally. The best reads are those that are passion projects and I hope that readers will pick up The Wind Knows My Name.

Oh and if it wasn’t obvious, I loved it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

lyssylyssy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, and Deportation

Moderate: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Murder

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Classism, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, and Stalking

Minor: Vomit

mhinnen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I love how Isabelle Allende writes. It’s nearly impossible for me to read through her books quickly because I want to soak in every sentence. When I received approval for an ARC of “the wind knows my name” I couldn’t wait to set aside time to sit and read. 

The story tells of the experiences of several families from different eras who have migrated to flee war and other violence (some of which has been fueled by the US government). The trauma of the past is compounded by the trauma of the migration journey. 

Children and parents are pulled apart. And thanks to social workers and others with big hearts like Selena, who cannot bear the cruelty, reconciliation is possible as well as appropriate legal representation.  

I appreciate how Allende blends some of the storylines together. She reflects the reality that while the endings are not always happy, because of basic human kindness, people can experience the fullness of relationships even when unexpected. 

Good book! 

#TheWindKnowsMyName
#Netgalley

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, and War