The Wind

Tales from a Revolution: West-Florida

De: Lars D. H. Hedbor

Narrado por: Shamaan Casey

The American Revolution reaches the Gulf Coast

Gabriel is a simple sailor, doing the bidding of his Captain and King, when he is swept up in a storm that changes his life in ways that he could never have anticipated. Carlotta yearns for her lost home, and is searching for her lost husband, but both remain elusive in a world that has been turned upside-down by forces far outside of her control.

When the storm that is Governor Bernardo de Gálvez breaks over them both, neither will ever be the same - and nor will their world.

©2012 Lars D. H. Hedbor (P)2018 Lars D. H. Hedbor

A less popular episode of the War of Independence

Part of the War of Independence and the role of the Spanish in it, this episode in American History is often a forgotten one, and Hedbor had the ability to transmit and bring it to life, to make it known to our and future generations. The main characters in this story are Gabriel and Carlotta, with a romantic subplot that made the story more approachable.

I enjoyed reading about a part of History I was not familiar with. I maybe missed some more character development, but I understand that characters’ stories were not the main subject here. It would just have helped to relate to them. I also missed strong female characters but this is probably due to the era that is portrayed in this book. I think well done historical fiction like this one should be something mandatory for everyone to learn.

This book is part of a series but it can be read as a standalone. I would recommend it to anyone interested in American History, especially if they are curious about less popular episodes.

Shamaan Casey’s narration was expressive, with great characters interpretations and a decent Spanish pronunciation. I would like a just to mention that the first “s” in “islas” is not a mute one. I would have appreciated a better articulation in general, but this is just a personal preference. Casey has a pleasant voice, and the audio production was well done.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Another good segment

Again, we see the events of this time through the eyes of a few people. They are not integral to the decisions made at this time. They are average people trying to deal with their position in life during this tumultuous time.
Gabriel gets washed up on shore when the ship he was on (that was headed up river to attack Baton Rouge) gets wrecked in a storm. He is found by Carlotta while she’s out looking for her husband who was lost in the storm. The locals (who were relocated by Govenor Galvez) take care of him until he’s recovered from his injuries. Torn between his responsibilities to his King, and staying to help his new friends and Carlotta, he joins the crew on another ship and heads back into the war.

This is the third book I’ve read/listened to by this author and I would gladly listen to another. I am really enjoying these books about the revolution.

This is the third book I’ve listened to by this narrator ( Shamaan Casey ). He does well reading the conversational languages of the day. The voices he uses for the characters are not very different, but the are able to be differentiated. I enjoy listening to the sound of his voice.

There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

The WInd

History I never knew told in a fascinating way.I loved it! I will have to look for more from this author.Shamaan Casey has a wonderful voice and talent for narrating this book.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

Outstanding Listen

I'm a big fan of sailing stories, but this was more than just a story. It really was just an all-around excellent listen. I listened to the first hour, then listened to almost the entire rest of the book in one sitting. It was that good!
My ONLY complaint was that it wasn't long enough! When the book ended I wanted more!

The narrator did extremely well. I never once got caught up in his performance or had to go back to understand something. 5 stars.

If you like history, sailing stories, or are even considering this book... You will NOT be disappointed.

I requested and received a free copy of this audiobook from the author, narrator, or publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. I was NOT required to write a positive review and this reflects my honest opinion of the work.

Great book!

The author does a great job telling the story and the different characters. I would recommend this book to anyone

Very Enjoyable.

The Author has a unique approach to explaining the strategic importance and role that each area of the Country played in the American Revolution... And based on wall researched fact ... It is a thought provoking book. and makes You aware of the possible eventualities that "could" have played a part or even changed the outcome. The Narrator has an amazing voice. Easy to listen to and very well articulated. I enjoyed this book immensely. This book was provided free of charge in exchange for a fair review... Thank You!

Makes history so much fun

It's a different execution from the more generic history textbooks we often get. I really like the way the author and narratated gave us this info.

Historical Fiction Done Right

While not typically in genres that I read – The Wind was an awesome tale of Revolutionary War-time West-Florida and is really a story about people.

In the introductory chapters, we learn that there is a storm and that Gabriel lands on a beach in an attempt to shelter from the storm. In the morning a woman finds and greets him while looking for her lost husband. She heals Gabriel out with the help of her father. Once we get into the story we find out that there is much more going on (and really anything more would be a spoiler!)

Hedbor’s storytelling is just that – it’s reminiscent of the older stories that you hear from “way back when”. Obviously, he’s telling a story about a long time ago but you get that authentic and honest feeling when you listen to it. He was able to bring a story about a time and a place that I don’t know much about and draw me deep into the sand and the ocean of that area.

I think with the popularity of Hamilton – this era of history is going to become more and more popular and Hedbor’s The Wind is just one of many Revolutionary War timed stories. I love the fact that he picks a certain place and just goes deep into it. He brings stories that you definitely didn’t hear or read in History class and makes them jump off of the page. I can honestly say, growing up in Pennsylvania that I knew very little about Florida (or the Spanish’s involvement in some of the battles). But after reading The Wind I feel like I know more (even though the story is fictional) and it makes me want to read more on the subject.

Couple this with the narration of Shamaan Casey and you have a rousing tale that’s well performed. The combination of Hedbor’s writing style and Casey’s ability to make the story jump off the page and you have a Historical Fiction book that really stands out.

Excellent Historical Fiction

I've listened to two of his other books and this one was just as much fun. This author really does a great job bringing history to life. I found this particular story more engaging and entertaining because it was a story I was not familiar with. We hear a lot about Boston, New York and other well known cities and battles during the Revolution, but he likes to take the lesser-known areas and battles and display them in his stories. The narrator did a fantastic job with the character voices and the narration of the book, he has a very rich voice and is a lot of fun to listen to.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Certainly more interesting than HS History Class!

Note: Even though this is part of a series, it works just fine as a stand alone novel.
I do love storms and shipwrecks and this story has both! A hurricane has shipwrecked many people and destroyed small towns as well. There are plenty of injured and dead. Gabriel is my favorite character and perhaps that is because he’s the first one we meet in the story, and he’s in dire straights. Carlotta found him and basically rescued him from the wreckage of the storm. She’s searching for her husband but has become certain that he is lost forever.

Revolution soon sweeps in and people have to make choices about who to support and why. Gabriel is one such person. I did get a little laugh when most of the men head off for battle, leaving only the women, children, and injured men behind. I giggled a bit when one of these injured guys complained about being left behind with the women – because that’s pretty much how capable women feel every single time we read this in a history book.

This is my second story by Hedbor and I love how he takes us right into the middle of things, really making history real. But so far his stories have one weakness – the portrayal of the female characters. As with The Light, there are few ladies and for the most part they are romantic interests. Carlotta serves that role here. She started off so interesting, actually getting stuff done (rescuing people from the storm wreckage) only to be shelved. Sigh….

Ok, so setting that aside, I liked that Gabriel has to rebuild his life, make some hard choices, etc. The story does span a greater length of time than I initially expected, but that was necessary to show the full story arc, like men coming in from Texas, etc. Over all, I think this entire series would serve well to teach highschool students about the Revolutionary War, with the exception of the ladies being underrepresented or even misrepresented. 4.5/5 stars.

The Narration: Shamaan Casey does a great job with this story. His deep voice is a true joy to listen to. He has distinct voices for all the characters and even his female voices are pretty good. I was very pleased with his Spanish accent for certain characters and phrases. The pacing is perfect and there are no technical issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this audiobook. My opinions are 100% my own.