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The Whispering Wind: Two Lives, One Heartbreaking Story
AWARD WINNING BOOK FOR ROMANCE AND LITERARY FICTION 2014
The Whispering Wind is a moving story of two lovers, set on the beautiful island of Sardinia, where Elise goes on holiday to escape a loveless and violent marriage. Whilst there, she meets and falls in love with Beppe, a local Sard. Despite religious and cultural complications, they embark on a romantic and passionate affair. Beppe shows Elise his island and introduces her to the welcoming culture of the Sardinians and Elise soon falls under the spell of both the island and its people. But after weeks of blissful happiness, Elise has to return unexpectedly to England to face all the problems she had been so desperate to leave behind... The Whispering Wind is a work of fiction that will appeal to women who are romantics at heart.
Just Sardinia has made this book their must read for 2014.
The Whispering Wind is a finalist in the romance section of The Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2014. Magic. Also Finalist in romance and literary fiction in the National Indie Excellence Awards 2014.
The Whispering Wind is a moving story of two lovers, set on the beautiful island of Sardinia, where Elise goes on holiday to escape a loveless and violent marriage. Whilst there, she meets and falls in love with Beppe, a local Sard. Despite religious and cultural complications, they embark on a romantic and passionate affair. Beppe shows Elise his island and introduces her to the welcoming culture of the Sardinians and Elise soon falls under the spell of both the island and its people. But after weeks of blissful happiness, Elise has to return unexpectedly to England to face all the problems she had been so desperate to leave behind... The Whispering Wind is a work of fiction that will appeal to women who are romantics at heart.
Just Sardinia has made this book their must read for 2014.
The Whispering Wind is a finalist in the romance section of The Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2014. Magic. Also Finalist in romance and literary fiction in the National Indie Excellence Awards 2014.
274 pages, Paperback
First published March 17, 2013
1 person is currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Lexa Dudley
12 books11 followersWife, mother, grand mother and writer. A lover of good food and wonderful company, dear friends and a Passionate lover of the island of Sardinia and its people.
This year 'The Whispering Wind' was fortunate to win Gold finalist medal for ROMANCE in The Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2014 and finalist for ROMANCE and LITERARY FICTION at The National Excellence Indie Book Awards 2014. Needles to say I am absolutely thrilled.
This year 'Children of the Mists' won in The Book Excellence Awards 2016, having never won anything at school awards later in life are very sweet.
This year 'The Whispering Wind' was fortunate to win Gold finalist medal for ROMANCE in The Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2014 and finalist for ROMANCE and LITERARY FICTION at The National Excellence Indie Book Awards 2014. Needles to say I am absolutely thrilled.
This year 'Children of the Mists' won in The Book Excellence Awards 2016, having never won anything at school awards later in life are very sweet.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 10, 2015
“Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings.”
----Anaïs Nin, a French-born novelist, passionate eroticist and short story writer
Lexa Dudley, an English author, penned her debut book, The Whispering Wind: Two Lives, One Heartbreaking Story , that revolves around a small Italian island, Sardinia.
Synopsis:
The Whispering Wind is a moving story of two lovers, set on the beautiful island of Sardinia, where Elise goes on holiday to escape a loveless and violent marriage. Whilst there, she meets and falls in love with Beppe, a local Sard. Despite religious and cultural complications, they embark on a romantic and passionate affair. Beppe shows Elise his island and introduces her to the welcoming culture of the Sardinians and Elise soon falls under the spell of both the island and its people. But after weeks of blissful happiness, Elise has to return unexpectedly to England to face all the problems she had been so desperate to leave behind.
The Whispering Wind is that kind of book which will bring out the deepest pain from our soul and will manage to transform that pain into something beautiful and memorable. Since that is how I felt when I read the book.
Elise, a young and married English woman, take a trip all by herself to an Italian island, Sardinia. To get away from her abusive husband, William, Elise decides to take a break from her marital issues before going for a divorce. But her stay at Sardinia turns out to be something enchanting and fateful for her. Not only Elise was struck by the beauty of this small and lonely island, but also fell in love with the warmth of the local people of Sardinia called, Sards. Little did she knew that her trip to Sardinia would turn out to be lucky for her, as she fell head-over-heels-in-love with a local Sard, Beppe. Their love was not something filled with lust and passion, but their love was something pure and deep with intensity. But Sard people are quite traditional and since it was 1969, modern values like getting married to a divorced woman was still not acceptable in the society. Their love story comes to a halt when Elise had to return back to England due to her mother's illness, but will she come back? Will they find each other in their arms?
The author have spun a heart-touching and deeply moving love-story. The author's portrayal of this island, Sardinia makes me feel like she loves this island like her own home. With her eloquent words, I too can feel the warmth of the Sards like Maria, and the rest. The picture of Sardinia that she painted with her words is vivid, lively and very visual. I was not only transported to the picturesque island, but I could sniff the salty breeze and the sweetness of the wine on my tongue. I could even hear the birds singing and the waves crashing by the shore. And as Beppe and Elise's love story evolved, Sardinia bloomed like a flower.
The author did a great job on crafting the characters with depth and compassion. And their warm demeanor will make you feel like as if you are home. Elise, the main character, is strong willed woman, who fought a lot in her life, yet she stood still. Their narrative is striking and captivating. The prose is articulate and evocative with a rather fast pace. And the plot unraveled like something you need to devour for a longer time, rather than reading it in a haste, since the plot is constantly evolving and the beauty of Sardinia along with Elise's pain and sorrow keeps us engaged to the sore of the story. The chemistry between Beppe and Elise is not lusty yet it's very enriching. The emotions are strongly depicted with intricacy. The first part of the book is enchanting yet poignant, and in the second part, there is a mystery to unlock, although, we know the real culprit who caused the pain between Elise and Beppe, but the way the author unraveled it, made us gripped to the story. And surely, the second half brought a lot of tears to my eyes. I started hating the author for turning her story into something irrevocably painful.
All in all, Sardinia's beauty will bewitch you and the book will make you itch to take a trip to this elegant island, Sardinia.
Verdict: This book proves why pain demands to be felt and if you want to experience a unique combination of beauty and pain, then do read this compelling love story.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Lexa Dudley, for giving me an opportunity to read and review her book.
----Anaïs Nin, a French-born novelist, passionate eroticist and short story writer
Lexa Dudley, an English author, penned her debut book, The Whispering Wind: Two Lives, One Heartbreaking Story , that revolves around a small Italian island, Sardinia.
Synopsis:
The Whispering Wind is a moving story of two lovers, set on the beautiful island of Sardinia, where Elise goes on holiday to escape a loveless and violent marriage. Whilst there, she meets and falls in love with Beppe, a local Sard. Despite religious and cultural complications, they embark on a romantic and passionate affair. Beppe shows Elise his island and introduces her to the welcoming culture of the Sardinians and Elise soon falls under the spell of both the island and its people. But after weeks of blissful happiness, Elise has to return unexpectedly to England to face all the problems she had been so desperate to leave behind.
The Whispering Wind is that kind of book which will bring out the deepest pain from our soul and will manage to transform that pain into something beautiful and memorable. Since that is how I felt when I read the book.
Elise, a young and married English woman, take a trip all by herself to an Italian island, Sardinia. To get away from her abusive husband, William, Elise decides to take a break from her marital issues before going for a divorce. But her stay at Sardinia turns out to be something enchanting and fateful for her. Not only Elise was struck by the beauty of this small and lonely island, but also fell in love with the warmth of the local people of Sardinia called, Sards. Little did she knew that her trip to Sardinia would turn out to be lucky for her, as she fell head-over-heels-in-love with a local Sard, Beppe. Their love was not something filled with lust and passion, but their love was something pure and deep with intensity. But Sard people are quite traditional and since it was 1969, modern values like getting married to a divorced woman was still not acceptable in the society. Their love story comes to a halt when Elise had to return back to England due to her mother's illness, but will she come back? Will they find each other in their arms?
The author have spun a heart-touching and deeply moving love-story. The author's portrayal of this island, Sardinia makes me feel like she loves this island like her own home. With her eloquent words, I too can feel the warmth of the Sards like Maria, and the rest. The picture of Sardinia that she painted with her words is vivid, lively and very visual. I was not only transported to the picturesque island, but I could sniff the salty breeze and the sweetness of the wine on my tongue. I could even hear the birds singing and the waves crashing by the shore. And as Beppe and Elise's love story evolved, Sardinia bloomed like a flower.
The author did a great job on crafting the characters with depth and compassion. And their warm demeanor will make you feel like as if you are home. Elise, the main character, is strong willed woman, who fought a lot in her life, yet she stood still. Their narrative is striking and captivating. The prose is articulate and evocative with a rather fast pace. And the plot unraveled like something you need to devour for a longer time, rather than reading it in a haste, since the plot is constantly evolving and the beauty of Sardinia along with Elise's pain and sorrow keeps us engaged to the sore of the story. The chemistry between Beppe and Elise is not lusty yet it's very enriching. The emotions are strongly depicted with intricacy. The first part of the book is enchanting yet poignant, and in the second part, there is a mystery to unlock, although, we know the real culprit who caused the pain between Elise and Beppe, but the way the author unraveled it, made us gripped to the story. And surely, the second half brought a lot of tears to my eyes. I started hating the author for turning her story into something irrevocably painful.
All in all, Sardinia's beauty will bewitch you and the book will make you itch to take a trip to this elegant island, Sardinia.
Verdict: This book proves why pain demands to be felt and if you want to experience a unique combination of beauty and pain, then do read this compelling love story.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Lexa Dudley, for giving me an opportunity to read and review her book.
May 12, 2017
I wanted a sunny holiday read to make up for the lack of sunny summer here in the UK in August.
The plot is a bit translucent most of the way through but does work out differently to how I expected.
It's a nice little story. Won't set the world on fire but the descriptions of Sardinia are very appealing. I think my biggest gripe is too much past tense in the work. This allows the author to skip ahead rather quickly and break up the more natural present tense settings (of which there are some) which form the best bits of the book.
A nice, quick holiday read.
The plot is a bit translucent most of the way through but does work out differently to how I expected.
It's a nice little story. Won't set the world on fire but the descriptions of Sardinia are very appealing. I think my biggest gripe is too much past tense in the work. This allows the author to skip ahead rather quickly and break up the more natural present tense settings (of which there are some) which form the best bits of the book.
A nice, quick holiday read.
February 15, 2014
When Lexa approached me to enquire whether I may be interested in reviewing her novel, my answer was an easy ‘yes’. Romance set on Sardinia? Right up my street, especially given the fact that my own latest novel, The Echoes of Love, is a romance set in Venice, Tuscany and… Sardinia! I love the setting – Sardinia is quite one of my favourite places for its unspoilt beauty – and so I was very keen to read this novel.
I knew from the first paragraph that the book would not disappoint:
A gentle breeze fluttered through the peach grove, but gave no respite from the midday sun. The rows of peach and olive trees offered no shade, and the branches of the tall cypress trees surrounding the orchard seemed to trap and intensify the relentless rays, creating an overwhelming heat that pervaded everything. Only the strident call of the cicadas broke the unnerving quiet that descended over the dry land.
I adore the author’s writing style; her ability to evocatively convey the setting. There is so much colour and passion and feeling in her writing: she’s a romance writer par excellence.
The story drew me in from the beginning, so much so that I read the book in just two sittings – I couldn’t put it down. I love the characterisation, especially of the local Sardinian people. I love the depth to the character of Elise and her journey to find herself, and to heal her heart, after her abusive marriage. I love the hero of the book, Beppe, and find him so real as a person that he seems alive beyond the words on the page. I love the development of Beppe and Elise’s relationship, and the attention the author pays to exploring their feelings.
No doubt you’re spotting a theme: I love this book!
I’ve no wish to provide a spoiler of the ending here. Suffice it to say that it surprised me, and moved me, and is, I think, a very mature and intelligent close to the book. I’d have loved more depth at the end; more exploration of Elise’s life when she returns to England, and Beppe’s respectively. But I see why the author has written the book as she has.
In all, this is a book that stayed with me after I read the final words, and is one I think I will re-read in the future. It’s certainly made me pine for beautiful Sardinia!
I very much hope Lexa has more books in the pipeline: I will be first in line to read her next release.
I knew from the first paragraph that the book would not disappoint:
A gentle breeze fluttered through the peach grove, but gave no respite from the midday sun. The rows of peach and olive trees offered no shade, and the branches of the tall cypress trees surrounding the orchard seemed to trap and intensify the relentless rays, creating an overwhelming heat that pervaded everything. Only the strident call of the cicadas broke the unnerving quiet that descended over the dry land.
I adore the author’s writing style; her ability to evocatively convey the setting. There is so much colour and passion and feeling in her writing: she’s a romance writer par excellence.
The story drew me in from the beginning, so much so that I read the book in just two sittings – I couldn’t put it down. I love the characterisation, especially of the local Sardinian people. I love the depth to the character of Elise and her journey to find herself, and to heal her heart, after her abusive marriage. I love the hero of the book, Beppe, and find him so real as a person that he seems alive beyond the words on the page. I love the development of Beppe and Elise’s relationship, and the attention the author pays to exploring their feelings.
No doubt you’re spotting a theme: I love this book!
I’ve no wish to provide a spoiler of the ending here. Suffice it to say that it surprised me, and moved me, and is, I think, a very mature and intelligent close to the book. I’d have loved more depth at the end; more exploration of Elise’s life when she returns to England, and Beppe’s respectively. But I see why the author has written the book as she has.
In all, this is a book that stayed with me after I read the final words, and is one I think I will re-read in the future. It’s certainly made me pine for beautiful Sardinia!
I very much hope Lexa has more books in the pipeline: I will be first in line to read her next release.
February 18, 2017
This was a beautiful book!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews