A review by samyag
The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende

1.0

I really enjoyed Violeta, which is part of why I’m so disappointed in this. It honestly gave me the sort of uncanny feeling of something written by AI at times. Maybe it was just so underdeveloped that it came off as bizarre? Characters are completely flat, their decisions make no sense at times, dialogue is stilted, and the whole thing reads like how an 8th grade history book might describe events like the Holocaust, mass murder and genocide in El Salvador, and immigration conflicts in modern-day US. 

Imagine you’re watching a movie, and you can see two characters arguing on screen, screaming at each other, gesturing, crying even, but the argument is muted. And then a narrator shows up on screen and tells you what the argument is about. As an audience, you don’t get to truly engage with the scene. It’s spoon fed to you, rather than experienced. That’s the best way I can describe the prose of this novel. Scenes are summarized rather than shown, and we only really get to experience the events of the novel on a completely superficial level.

Spoiler

Lastly, I CANNOT get over Selena’s relationship with Milosz and her family’s support of him. This is a woman raised by two generations of women who crossed the US/Mexico border, and whose entire career is centered around helping immigrants seeking asylum. It is clear to the reader that one of her main values in life is compassion for immigrants, especially refugees. And yet she’s been with the border wall supporting racist conservative boyfriend for EIGHT YEARS?? She thinks it’s ok if she just doesn’t talk about immigration or politics with him ever, because he’s sexy?? He wants her to quit her career and be a housewife, and she’s like “but he’s so masculine and hot that I’m not sure if I should trust my gut” I mean??? I’m sorry, but I cannot suspend my disbelief for even a second to buy that a woman with her background and her career would entertain a man with those opinions for one conversation, let alone an eight year relationship and engagement.

I do own A Long Petal of the Sea and I haven’t read it yet, so someday I’ll get around to that one, but beyond that I think I’m done with Allende. We’ll see. Maybe she’ll surprise me with something astounding next time.