What the Wind Knows

1. General Impressions 

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Amy Harmon specializes in historical fiction romance novels. What did you think of the interplay between these two genres in What the Wind Knows? Have you read other historical fiction romances by Harmon or another author? How does this story compare to Harmon’s other work?
• What did you think of the novel’s time-travel element? Did you find the ending in which Thomas and Annie reunite in her present satisfying? Why or why not? 
• Have you encountered other books and films set in Ireland? How do these texts portray their setting, and how does Harmon’s novel challenge the tendency to romanticize Ireland? 

2. Personal Reflection and Connection 

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Annie and her grandfather’s mutual love of stories is at the heart of their relationship. Do you have a particular family member or role model who kindled your love of literature? What shared interests bring you close to your family and friends?
• Harmon based the novel on her own family’s history. Has your family passed down any stories about your history and heritage that you would like to share? How do these stories contribute to your understanding of yourself and your place in the world?
• The author critiques historical narratives that dehumanize or silence groups. Have you observed people attempting to misconstrue events to promote their own biases? What historically noteworthy events have you experienced within your own lifetime, and how do you bear witness?
• When Annie goes back in time, she discovers that she had an overly simplistic and romanticized view of Ireland’s history. Have you ever had an experience that shifted your view of the world and helped you understand life in a more complex and nuanced way? What happened and what did you learn?

3. Societal and Cultural Context 

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• How does the novel’s setting of 1920s Ireland contribute to its overall meaning? Did the story give you a new understanding of the 1916 Easter Rising, the Anglo-Irish treaty, and the Irish Civil War?
• How does What the Wind Knows use the lens of romance and time travel to contribute to a conversation around the lingering impacts of colonization?

4. Literary Analysis 

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• How does storytelling shape Annie’s relationships with Eoin and Thomas? What does Harmon reveal about the novel’s love story by invoking the Irish folktale of Niamh and Oisín? 
• How does Harmon’s style and language bring 1920s Ireland to life? Identify some specific pieces of dialogue or description that evoke the culture of that time and place.
• How does Annie’s origins in the contemporary US affect her relatability compared to the novel’s other characters? How does her unique perspective as a woman displaced in time shape the novel’s structure and overall meaning?
• What steps does Harmon take to portray Michael Collins as a human being rather than an icon? What message does the novel offer about people’s tendency to oversimplify history? 
• How does the author use Thomas’s journal entries to add nuance to the narrative, provide historical context, and foreshadow conflicts? In addition, how do his journals help Annie during the couple’s time apart? What might Thomas’s journals symbolize?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• If the novel had a sequel, what would you like it to explore? What are some potential challenges that Thomas might face as he adjusts to his new time and place? What other struggles and joys might await the characters if their story were to continue?
• Imagine that you can time travel to a key moment in your family’s history. What point in time would you choose to visit and why? Would you want to remain in this historical time period as Annie wishes, or would you rather return to your own time after your journey as the protagonist ultimately does? 

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