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Whisper to the Wind
Trailblazing author, Marianne K. Martin asks, “How much are you willing to sacrifice to protect your students and the woman you love?” in this powerful and timely novel.
Johanna Beals decided sixteen years ago to sacrifice everything to raise her daughter Kayla as a single mother. She knew it was the right decision even when it led to lonely nights and broken relationships, and even when adolescent secrets challenged their mother/daughter bond. But the decision to go it alone seems easy compared to the one she is about to face.
Secrets and bouts of teenage angst don’t only challenge parents. English teacher, Miya James, has dealt with her fair share of them over the years. But Kayla Beals seems to be whispering to the wind, an act that stirs uncomfortable memories of Miya’s fractured childhood. As the school year progresses, she finds she wasn’t prepared for this student, for her mother, or for the sparks that add fuel to the teeming atmosphere of unrest, bullying, and homophobia that leaves her school district grappling with life-changing decisions for everyone involved.
Johanna Beals decided sixteen years ago to sacrifice everything to raise her daughter Kayla as a single mother. She knew it was the right decision even when it led to lonely nights and broken relationships, and even when adolescent secrets challenged their mother/daughter bond. But the decision to go it alone seems easy compared to the one she is about to face.
Secrets and bouts of teenage angst don’t only challenge parents. English teacher, Miya James, has dealt with her fair share of them over the years. But Kayla Beals seems to be whispering to the wind, an act that stirs uncomfortable memories of Miya’s fractured childhood. As the school year progresses, she finds she wasn’t prepared for this student, for her mother, or for the sparks that add fuel to the teeming atmosphere of unrest, bullying, and homophobia that leaves her school district grappling with life-changing decisions for everyone involved.
1 pages, Audio CD
Published January 14, 2025
5 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Marianne K. Martin
21 books65 followersA graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Ms Martin taught in the Michigan public school system for twenty-five years, has worked as a photo-journalist, a photographer, and coached both high school and collegiate teams as well as amateur ASA teams. Her coaching career produced many Tri-County and MHSAA championship basketball and softball teams and championship ASA softball teams. She was founder of the Michigan Woman's Major Fastpitch Assoc. and its president for ten years. In 1973 she won the precedent-setting case in a Michigan court establishing equal pay for women coaches.
Ms Martin is the best-selling author of Legacy of Love, Love in the Balance, Never Ending, Dawn of the Dance, Dance in the Key of Love, and three Lambda Literary Award finalists, Mirrors, Under the Witness Tree, and For Now, For Always.
Her short stories have been included in a number of anthologies. Her most recent, Fire and Ice, appears in the second edition of the on-line issue of Read These Lips.
She is co-owner of Bywater Books and currently splits her time between her publishing responsibilities and writing.
Ms Martin is the best-selling author of Legacy of Love, Love in the Balance, Never Ending, Dawn of the Dance, Dance in the Key of Love, and three Lambda Literary Award finalists, Mirrors, Under the Witness Tree, and For Now, For Always.
Her short stories have been included in a number of anthologies. Her most recent, Fire and Ice, appears in the second edition of the on-line issue of Read These Lips.
She is co-owner of Bywater Books and currently splits her time between her publishing responsibilities and writing.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 17, 2025
This book is a tough read. It’s like the friend who keeps you updated on the next bad news coming from dc. I know it’s important to listen but it makes me continuously angry with every new bit of information.
No doubt, the story is well written. The award-winning author has been putting out books since the 1990’s and this is a strong effort. Miya James and Johanna Beals have a brief encounter that leads later on to a relationship. One of the issues is that Miya is Johanna’s daughter’s HS teacher. Miya is already anxious about the school finding out that she is Queer. Dating a student’s mother adds to the stress. Meanwhile, Johanna’s daughter, Kayla, and her friends are battling school bullies. It’s tough enough confronting adults and teenagers who are violently racist and homophobic, but having no support from authorities leaves everyone feeling vulnerable. Then add the pile-on of social media hatred, the book is just hard to read at times. Thankfully, the story also reminds us that the only way to overcome this terrible new age is by the uniting of family, friends, and strangers to speak up and fight for each other and what’s right, even if it’s just at a weeknight school board meeting. Abby Craden narrates the audiobook and does a fantastic job voicing the painful moments as well as the romance. On Hoopla.
4.5 stars and recommend.
No doubt, the story is well written. The award-winning author has been putting out books since the 1990’s and this is a strong effort. Miya James and Johanna Beals have a brief encounter that leads later on to a relationship. One of the issues is that Miya is Johanna’s daughter’s HS teacher. Miya is already anxious about the school finding out that she is Queer. Dating a student’s mother adds to the stress. Meanwhile, Johanna’s daughter, Kayla, and her friends are battling school bullies. It’s tough enough confronting adults and teenagers who are violently racist and homophobic, but having no support from authorities leaves everyone feeling vulnerable. Then add the pile-on of social media hatred, the book is just hard to read at times. Thankfully, the story also reminds us that the only way to overcome this terrible new age is by the uniting of family, friends, and strangers to speak up and fight for each other and what’s right, even if it’s just at a weeknight school board meeting. Abby Craden narrates the audiobook and does a fantastic job voicing the painful moments as well as the romance. On Hoopla.
4.5 stars and recommend.
January 29, 2025
Book: 4.5
Audiobook: 4.85
*Rounded up to 5 overall*
THIS story. Couldn't come at a better time as we seem to be "regressing" after a few wonderful years of LGBTQ+ support, acceptance (majority of the US supports it), same-sex marriage legality nationwide, removal of DADT and apology/compensation, more LGBTQ+ rights incl trans rights, etc. Now, we seem to be back to this feeling of dread, wariness, and god forbid, fear! *sigh* Can't say I'm surprised, though. We live in a matrix where it is programmed to function in duality, in pendular cycles, in a revolving door system. Taking turns. Reckon it's time the other side takes over now after some years of being on the side of positivity, love, hope, joy for LGBTQ+ rights.... and other civil/social rights, for that matter.
So, when I found out that legendary Marianne K. Martin, who hadn't released any book (as far as I knew) for a good many years, recently came out from "sabbatical" (?) with her latest lesfic piece that showcased this particularly realistic, timely, resonating subject matter, I knew it was going to be visceral, gut-wrenching, heartfelt and affecting. If you've read her classic (timeless) stories, "Legacy of Love," and "Love in the Balance," you'll know that Martin excels in telling the very story that affects us in the community with writing that stays with you long after you've read it....and even LONGER after you've listened to the incomparable Abby Craden performing and bringing the characters to ever-realistic, heartbreaking life. Craden just elevates Martin's intellectual, literary presentation in human story form to new heights of emotional effect. Her incredible instinct in interpreting Martin's storytelling intent and state of mind effectively captures the human condition in whatever situation and environment the story throw at her with only her voice. A voice that produces extraordinary vocal artistry, to say the least. Bravo and well done again, Ms. Craden. And Ms. Martin, thank you for telling this seemingly timeless story that unfortunately still haunts us TODAY, in THIS day and age, in the 21st century (FFS!). Honestly.
This story is so effectively raw and grounded in realism for me mainly because, I believe, it's told by a teacher of the public school system, someone who knows about the academic, social, environmental, political, personal aspects and implications of what it means to be an educator in a system that doesn't always support those who need it, be it the student or the teacher. Many an instance, we hear about the political and, dare I say, religious influence of decision-making within the school council or admin. Bullying, homophobia, racism, bigotry, and, omg, BOOK BANNING!! “Fahrenheit 451,” much?! Don’t laugh. The possibility of the movie’s theme becoming a terrifying reality is only a mere verbal claim away, i.e. “indecency” or ever-damaging, “these books are harmful to our children!” from a parent, which will definitely bring the entire panicked school board to its knees. Such social injustice doesn't seem to go away decade after decade, century after century. It's as though they exist as a necessity when exploring the whole spectrum of what we call, the human experience, I suppose. I could go on and on and churn out a well-researched, well-analysed thesis about this but this is not the place, obvs. Anyway, I digress…
If you read Martin’s classics (it’s like a rite of passage to read these - Legacy of Love, Love in the Balance), you’d know that she paces her stories like they’re in real-time, making them grounded in realism. At least that’s how I see it. Martin writes with purpose, conviction and always with a message, a social commentary, about issues that are clearly near and dear to her heart, incidentally to a lot of us too. The most affectingly memorable moment for me was in the third act, when everything came to a head with Miya, the model teacher with a passion for her profession and love/care for her students, with every single repugnantly predictable occurrence, consequence, thrown at her, physically, emotionally, mentally, which Martin deftly crafted (personified to eerie effect by Craden). Reading (and listening to) every escalating moment was like a gut-punch to my soul. Karmic trauma trigger (don't ask!).
“Whisper to the Wind” - oh, what a poetic title it is! How appropriate. How symbolic. How haunting. So relevant are these issues that we’re having to once again endure today due to the recent political event that had sent ripples to the fabric of society where the consequences may affect our very identity, our way of life, our lives. Despite these bleak issues that make up Martin’s story, the genius of her story-weaving is that by the end of it, we're reminded that there's always this sense of hope and love that's always there hiding in plain sight, waiting for the appropriate time to show its glory when called for! Where there’s darkness, there’s light. Where there’s hate, there’s also unconditional love. In the midst of ugliness and decay in humanity, there emerges the powerful resilience of the human spirit. And the best thing about “Whisper..” is that Martin’s conviction in highlighting these issues that have been plaguing us forever through a heartfelt love story between a teacher and a parent is further reverberated by Craden's captivating performance!
Read Martin’s words. Listen to Craden’s vocal performance.
Audiobook: 4.85
*Rounded up to 5 overall*
THIS story. Couldn't come at a better time as we seem to be "regressing" after a few wonderful years of LGBTQ+ support, acceptance (majority of the US supports it), same-sex marriage legality nationwide, removal of DADT and apology/compensation, more LGBTQ+ rights incl trans rights, etc. Now, we seem to be back to this feeling of dread, wariness, and god forbid, fear! *sigh* Can't say I'm surprised, though. We live in a matrix where it is programmed to function in duality, in pendular cycles, in a revolving door system. Taking turns. Reckon it's time the other side takes over now after some years of being on the side of positivity, love, hope, joy for LGBTQ+ rights.... and other civil/social rights, for that matter.
So, when I found out that legendary Marianne K. Martin, who hadn't released any book (as far as I knew) for a good many years, recently came out from "sabbatical" (?) with her latest lesfic piece that showcased this particularly realistic, timely, resonating subject matter, I knew it was going to be visceral, gut-wrenching, heartfelt and affecting. If you've read her classic (timeless) stories, "Legacy of Love," and "Love in the Balance," you'll know that Martin excels in telling the very story that affects us in the community with writing that stays with you long after you've read it....and even LONGER after you've listened to the incomparable Abby Craden performing and bringing the characters to ever-realistic, heartbreaking life. Craden just elevates Martin's intellectual, literary presentation in human story form to new heights of emotional effect. Her incredible instinct in interpreting Martin's storytelling intent and state of mind effectively captures the human condition in whatever situation and environment the story throw at her with only her voice. A voice that produces extraordinary vocal artistry, to say the least. Bravo and well done again, Ms. Craden. And Ms. Martin, thank you for telling this seemingly timeless story that unfortunately still haunts us TODAY, in THIS day and age, in the 21st century (FFS!). Honestly.
This story is so effectively raw and grounded in realism for me mainly because, I believe, it's told by a teacher of the public school system, someone who knows about the academic, social, environmental, political, personal aspects and implications of what it means to be an educator in a system that doesn't always support those who need it, be it the student or the teacher. Many an instance, we hear about the political and, dare I say, religious influence of decision-making within the school council or admin. Bullying, homophobia, racism, bigotry, and, omg, BOOK BANNING!! “Fahrenheit 451,” much?! Don’t laugh. The possibility of the movie’s theme becoming a terrifying reality is only a mere verbal claim away, i.e. “indecency” or ever-damaging, “these books are harmful to our children!” from a parent, which will definitely bring the entire panicked school board to its knees. Such social injustice doesn't seem to go away decade after decade, century after century. It's as though they exist as a necessity when exploring the whole spectrum of what we call, the human experience, I suppose. I could go on and on and churn out a well-researched, well-analysed thesis about this but this is not the place, obvs. Anyway, I digress…
If you read Martin’s classics (it’s like a rite of passage to read these - Legacy of Love, Love in the Balance), you’d know that she paces her stories like they’re in real-time, making them grounded in realism. At least that’s how I see it. Martin writes with purpose, conviction and always with a message, a social commentary, about issues that are clearly near and dear to her heart, incidentally to a lot of us too. The most affectingly memorable moment for me was in the third act, when everything came to a head with Miya, the model teacher with a passion for her profession and love/care for her students, with every single repugnantly predictable occurrence, consequence, thrown at her, physically, emotionally, mentally, which Martin deftly crafted (personified to eerie effect by Craden). Reading (and listening to) every escalating moment was like a gut-punch to my soul. Karmic trauma trigger (don't ask!).
“Whisper to the Wind” - oh, what a poetic title it is! How appropriate. How symbolic. How haunting. So relevant are these issues that we’re having to once again endure today due to the recent political event that had sent ripples to the fabric of society where the consequences may affect our very identity, our way of life, our lives. Despite these bleak issues that make up Martin’s story, the genius of her story-weaving is that by the end of it, we're reminded that there's always this sense of hope and love that's always there hiding in plain sight, waiting for the appropriate time to show its glory when called for! Where there’s darkness, there’s light. Where there’s hate, there’s also unconditional love. In the midst of ugliness and decay in humanity, there emerges the powerful resilience of the human spirit. And the best thing about “Whisper..” is that Martin’s conviction in highlighting these issues that have been plaguing us forever through a heartfelt love story between a teacher and a parent is further reverberated by Craden's captivating performance!
Read Martin’s words. Listen to Craden’s vocal performance.
October 16, 2024
Sweet romance eclipsed by sometimes heavy drama
I had mixed feelings about this book.
The romance between Miya and Johanna is sweet and slow burn although plenty of other things are metaphorically simmering or on fire at the same time. Bullying, book banning, heated school board meetings with all the accompanying tribalism and other political shenanigans, harassment and other things eclipse the romance and steal its spotlight for a time. As important as those issues are to the story arc they're mostly left (unless I missed something in my reading) unresolved, at least to my satisfaction. I understand the need for conflict in a story and the opportunity to shine a light on real life issues in fiction but so many questions raised and behaviors highlighted by and against characters in the book are back in the shadows once the focus returns to the romance plot thread. I was also distracted wondering why in this modern day post pandemic story, where everyone has a smartphone, why so many characters never thought to use their phones to audio and/or video record proof of harassment and other altercations they witnessed or underwent, or to install dashcams or surveillance of any kind (no one in town has a smart doorbell camera?!) after the first incident; intelligent and fairly tech savvy characters and yet also incredibly naive for all the courage and creativity they otherwise displayed. I would have preferred fewer social issues being brought up so more time on the page could be devoted to the developing romance and other loving relationships between characters rather than be left wondering what happened to perpetrators of some creepy and sick acts who are then seemingly forgotten. There are some great speeches by characters and powerful quotes used by them to make their voices heard, points made; a few times I was struck by the beauty of a particular sentence and had to read it a second time before continuing on. Secondary characters (other than the wrong doers) have great relationships with mains and those scenes with their interactions were a pleasure to read; Johanna's Aunt Kate was a fave for me and likely to charm many readers with her kindness, generosity and loyalty to those she loves. The scenes of bullying and other harassment are uncomfortable to read but the discomfort is short-lived. I really wanted to love the book and rooted for Miya and Johanna to be together despite everything going on around them and within themselves but wanted more time with them away from the other drama going on. I suspect the author drew on her experience as a teacher to bring these topics to light and would like to read her other books to see what other stories she has to tell.
I had mixed feelings about this book.
The romance between Miya and Johanna is sweet and slow burn although plenty of other things are metaphorically simmering or on fire at the same time. Bullying, book banning, heated school board meetings with all the accompanying tribalism and other political shenanigans, harassment and other things eclipse the romance and steal its spotlight for a time. As important as those issues are to the story arc they're mostly left (unless I missed something in my reading) unresolved, at least to my satisfaction. I understand the need for conflict in a story and the opportunity to shine a light on real life issues in fiction but so many questions raised and behaviors highlighted by and against characters in the book are back in the shadows once the focus returns to the romance plot thread. I was also distracted wondering why in this modern day post pandemic story, where everyone has a smartphone, why so many characters never thought to use their phones to audio and/or video record proof of harassment and other altercations they witnessed or underwent, or to install dashcams or surveillance of any kind (no one in town has a smart doorbell camera?!) after the first incident; intelligent and fairly tech savvy characters and yet also incredibly naive for all the courage and creativity they otherwise displayed. I would have preferred fewer social issues being brought up so more time on the page could be devoted to the developing romance and other loving relationships between characters rather than be left wondering what happened to perpetrators of some creepy and sick acts who are then seemingly forgotten. There are some great speeches by characters and powerful quotes used by them to make their voices heard, points made; a few times I was struck by the beauty of a particular sentence and had to read it a second time before continuing on. Secondary characters (other than the wrong doers) have great relationships with mains and those scenes with their interactions were a pleasure to read; Johanna's Aunt Kate was a fave for me and likely to charm many readers with her kindness, generosity and loyalty to those she loves. The scenes of bullying and other harassment are uncomfortable to read but the discomfort is short-lived. I really wanted to love the book and rooted for Miya and Johanna to be together despite everything going on around them and within themselves but wanted more time with them away from the other drama going on. I suspect the author drew on her experience as a teacher to bring these topics to light and would like to read her other books to see what other stories she has to tell.
October 20, 2024
Real life, real threats and a romance
Martin tackles a heady topic in this book: the siege schools, teachers and pupils are under from bigots, conservatives and plain bullies. Martin makes the situations so very real it gets under your skin, at times it is nearly overwhelming. There might be hope even if it is at times only a glimmer when communities and allies stand together. I cheered for Kayla, a young student, all along.
Woven into this heavy drama is a tender romance between two teachers, Miya and Johanna, overshadowed by the happenings which seep from their professional into their private lives.
The story is very well-written and makes the divisiveness and its consequences very real. Great story telling.
After reading this novel I had to take a deep breath and let it simmer for a few days. The story is terrible and believable and I wondered how such a constant siege will mess with those involved. It can‘t be healthy - for both sides. And the book - thankfully - does not try a quick patch though it ends on a positive note.
I received an ARC. The review is left voluntarily.
Martin tackles a heady topic in this book: the siege schools, teachers and pupils are under from bigots, conservatives and plain bullies. Martin makes the situations so very real it gets under your skin, at times it is nearly overwhelming. There might be hope even if it is at times only a glimmer when communities and allies stand together. I cheered for Kayla, a young student, all along.
Woven into this heavy drama is a tender romance between two teachers, Miya and Johanna, overshadowed by the happenings which seep from their professional into their private lives.
The story is very well-written and makes the divisiveness and its consequences very real. Great story telling.
After reading this novel I had to take a deep breath and let it simmer for a few days. The story is terrible and believable and I wondered how such a constant siege will mess with those involved. It can‘t be healthy - for both sides. And the book - thankfully - does not try a quick patch though it ends on a positive note.
I received an ARC. The review is left voluntarily.
January 24, 2025
Whisper to the Wind is timely and frighteningly relevant. It begins as a beautifully written love story which evolves into a stark commentary about the current social and political climate in America. Through events in the book we witness an increasingly vocal, powerful, self-entitled and privileged few threaten the safety and happiness of others to further their own narrow agenda.
Set in a public school there are many heart wrenching, viscerally described and potentially triggering events throughout the book - including bullying, harassment, racism, assault, mob behaviour and homophobia. There are references to school shootings, suicide and book banning. The constant undercurrent of threat and fear makes this book at times a deeply uncomfortable and challenging read.
Often we read to escape reality. However, we need books like Whisper to the Wind to chronicle, expose and reflect what is happening around us. Despite the real feelings of futility and helplessness the central character Miya experiences, Marianne K Martin leaves her reader with a sense of hope and a somewhat happy ending.
Set in a public school there are many heart wrenching, viscerally described and potentially triggering events throughout the book - including bullying, harassment, racism, assault, mob behaviour and homophobia. There are references to school shootings, suicide and book banning. The constant undercurrent of threat and fear makes this book at times a deeply uncomfortable and challenging read.
Often we read to escape reality. However, we need books like Whisper to the Wind to chronicle, expose and reflect what is happening around us. Despite the real feelings of futility and helplessness the central character Miya experiences, Marianne K Martin leaves her reader with a sense of hope and a somewhat happy ending.
March 30, 2025
I am a fan of this author. Her stories not only entertain but they educate, make me think, which in my opinion is a good thing. This read contains some tough as well as challenging topics. There is also a nice romance full of tenderness. Miya James, English teacher with a caring heart for her students. Johanna Beals, mother to teenager Kayla. The title is apropos as Kayla deals with various issues at school that impact not only her but her best friend, Zack. This story is so real and current and had me on a rollercoaster of a ride as I internalized what was happening to the students, teachers and their family and friends. What a head shaker. I listened to the audiobook and Abby Craden was magnificent!
January 27, 2025
Marianne K Martin is a master storyteller and Whisper to the Wind is no exception. I started reading it just prior to going to bed and stayed up until 3 am before forcing myself to put it down for the "night". I finished it the next day. There are so many emotions flowing through my body after reading this - but the ones I will focus on are love and the joy of chosen family. It does deal with some very real and very hard subject matter, but MKM handles it as only she can. I am trying to write this without spoilers so I will leave it at this - buy the book, read the book. One of the best books I have read in a while and I read a lot of books!
September 2, 2025
Not an easy read as many issues prevalent in the US affecting schools such as bullying and book bans, and homophobia are in focus. Nevertheless these stories, rooted in reality, are important, and the author is a wonderful storyteller.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2025
3.5
every man and his dog has a POV in this book and whilst there were some redeeming moments it lacks depth
every man and his dog has a POV in this book and whilst there were some redeeming moments it lacks depth
January 30, 2025
I just finished Marianne K. Martin's book "Whisper to the Wind," and I must say I really, really enjoyed it. I knew it would be about "verboten" love, and that's always a great trope, but this book covered so much more. Not only was it an insight into the mechanisms of public school operations, but it also covered bullying and book banning and all the social media pressures our teenagers face today. The love interest between Miya and Johanna starts out with a slow simmer and then heats up quickly. The additional plot twists are much faster and kept me turning page after page. Very riveting. Martin's characters are very well developed and very relatable. I recommend this book to educators, teenagers, administrators and lovers of all types. It's a great book and I will think about it for a long time.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews