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GUEST REVIEW: Smoke on the Wind by Kelli Estes
- Sophia Rose
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
ABOUT THE BOOK
In the magnificent Scottish Highlands, two devoted mothers separated by centuries discover a haunting connection in a gripping novel by the USA Today bestselling author of The Girl Who Wrote in Silk.
Struggling with the tragic end of her marriage, Keaka Denney is on a bittersweet adventure in Scotland with her son, Colin. She’s joining him on a weeklong hike along the West Highland Way before he enters university in Glasgow. Soon into the journey, Keaka’s disquieting visions begin—a woman from ages past reaching for Colin, a burning cottage, violence.
Scotland, 1801. After Sorcha Chisholm and her son are wrenched from their home in a brutal eviction, they face an arduous trek toward a new beginning. When Sorcha learns she’s wanted for a murder she didn’t commit, she and her son run for their lives. Then help arrives from the strangest woman in the most unexpected ways.
Centuries apart, Keaka and Sorcha walk the same path—devoted mothers in circumstances beyond their control who’ll do anything to keep their sons safe. Defying logic, they find strength in each other. But what does their connection mean? And how far will it go?
OPENING LINES A cry of alarm drifted faintly to Sorcha Chisholm’s ears as she pushed to her feet and slapped the cow’s rump to move her along after milking. But when she looked down the village in the strath, she saw nothing amiss.
GUEST REVIEW by Sophia Rose
The Scottish Highlands come alive with a sense of magic in this dual-timeline story, where two middle-aged women—separated by centuries—find a way to connect across time and help one another. Though Kelli Estes was new to me, I had a feeling I would enjoy her work when I received Smoke on the Wind as a gift—and I was right.
The novel opens with a gripping and devastating scene set in the early nineteenth-century Scottish Highlands, within Sorcha’s timeline. A ruthless laird violently clears a once-peaceful village, setting her story in motion before the narrative shifts to the present day.
In the modern storyline, Keaka, an American, travels to Scotland to help her college-aged son, Colin, settle into university. Though her heart aches at the thought of leaving him, they first embark on a long hike along the West Highland Trail—a journey meant to honor a father-son trip that never came to pass before Colin’s father died. Throughout their time together, Keaka conceals from Colin the painful truth about the struggles that defined her relationship with his father.
Sorcha and her son, Aonghus, face constant danger, including the need to hide from a false accusation of murder. Determined to protect her last surviving child, Sorcha will stop at nothing to keep him safe. Across time, both Sorcha and Keaka experience vivid visions of one another’s lives at pivotal moments—connections that allow them to offer strength and support despite the centuries between them.
Their intertwined journeys build to a powerful testament to resilience. This was a book I found difficult to set aside and was always eager to return to. While I didn’t connect equally with both storylines, I appreciated how each timeline enriched the overall narrative. Ultimately, both women come to recognize their own strength as resilient mothers, bound by a support that transcends time.
A sweeping parallel story that captured my emotions and interest through its vivid Scottish settings—both historical and contemporary—along with its colorful, layered characters, fans of historical fiction who appreciate strong, sympathetic female leads must add Smoke on the Wind to their TBR stack.
Christina Boyd's note: I reviewed Smoke on the Wind when it first released in 2025. When I met Kelli Estes at the PNWA conference, I bought a copy for Sophia Rose as a Christmas gift, knowing it was just her kind of read. Kelli signed it, too. I'm so glad Sophia reviewed the book for my blog, too. You can read my review here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli Estes is the USA Today bestselling author of SMOKE ON THE WIND, coming June 2025. Her first novel, THE GIRL WHO WROTE IN SILK has been translated into twelve languages and was the recipient of the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association Nancy Pearl Book Award and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award (Debut). Her second novel TODAY WE GO HOME was the nationwide Target Book Club pick for September 2019. Known for dual-timeline stories that show how history is still relevant to our lives today, Kelli is passionate about learning all she can about people and events that shaped our world. Kelli lives in Washington State with her husband and two sons. Find Kelli on Facebook, Instagram, or at www.kelliestes.com.
ABOUT SOPHIA ROSE, Guest Reviewer
Sophia is a quiet, curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, piano-playing, and gardening. Road trips and campouts, museums and monuments, restaurants, and theaters are her jam. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and a loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, baseball, cats, Scooby Doo, and chocolate. As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing. In 2012, she submitted her first book review and is currently an associate reviewer.
Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener, which allows her to experience many wonderful books, authors, and narrators. Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction, particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance. Sorry, no horror...or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby. Connect with Sophia via FACEBOOK GOODREADS TWITTER
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