Emotional and heartbreaking breaking story of several families traveling on the Oregon trail out west in search of a better life. This is the story of their trials and tribulations on their long journey. Amy Harmon's storytelling and vivid descriptions and her attention to details is simply incredible.

This story is about so many families, so many characters but the main couple is John and Naomi. John is half Pawnee Indian that works the wagon train. John was hardworking, stubborn and bullheaded, loyal and Naomi has caught his eye but he thinks he can't have her. Naomi is a twenty-year-old that has already been married and widowed. Naomi was a strong heroine, she was hardworking, stubborn, loyal, feisty, opinionated and so lovable. The chemistry between these two was combustible, the banger sometimes was humorous!! Naomi's family is on the wagon train. She had all brothers, the May boys Warren and wife Abigail, Wyatt, Will, Webb, and baby Wolfe. Her father William and mother Winifred, she was very close with her mother.
During their travel’s tragedy strikes and members of Naomi’s family were killed, this separated her from John and two of her brothers. This is the part of the story that shows what these two are made of, they each fought to survive until they could reunite.

I realized that in their time you had to be strong you had to dig deep for your courage because if you didn't your chances of survival were slim.

So many memorable moments that literally broke my heart but those same moments made this story exceptional. I loved it from the prologue to the epilogue, this story captivated me!! If you like historical romance this is the book for you!!

I did not finish this book. I have seen a lot of great reviews, but I could tell very early on that this book was not for me, I will be giving it a neutral 3 star review as I can see where the story was going and how it would be good if it met my interests.

What a truly mesmerizing story! The prologue grabs your attention right away and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next. The level of detail was astonishing and nearly the entire book played out like a movie in my mind. It was raw and brutal, but also beautiful and hopeful. This is my first historical western romance, but I loved that John and Naomi's love story was only part of the story. There was so much more that the author explored and showcased. I can't accurately express how much this story made me feel. There was so much anguish and heartbreak through the journey, but it was balanced so well with the joy and triumphs. I was so invested in all of the characters, and the way the book began and then came full circle was amazing. The writing was incredible and there was so much emotion and heart in every word. I have had several of Amy Harmon's books on my to read list for a while now, and I am kicking myself for waiting this long. I found the author's note at the end especially enlightening and appreciated all of the research she did in preparation for this book. I can't wait for readers to experience this transcendent novel.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

Amy Harmon is just absolutely one the best writer of historical fiction it shows in her work. A reader can tell she takes her research seriously and doesn't paint stroke the ugly truth of history for the sake of creating art. Amy Harmon pulls all the pain and love of the past by transcending it into the present as bridge between ancestors and descendants. I really appreciate the effort and tone Amy created you can tell she kept it well balance and not too heavy or melancholy for readers to enjoy a story based in truths as well as creative liberty to feel offended by a time in America's history that carries painful lingering feelings that are still felt to this day.

The character of Two Feet/John Lowery represented so much of hope and sorrow bonded together that throughout his journey he faces the tug of war of his nationality and how the world around him treats him as an outsider. Naomi May is a character who who paints the world literally for she is an artist who paints people beauty by enhancing their flaws and vulnerabilities that capture their essences in ways that cuts to the spirit of a mans soul. As a love story it was sweet I liked how this story was not based around how they fell in loved but how their love for one another allowed them to survive the many twist and turns of their lives to find themselves of where the lost wander.

Everything about this book was calling to me. The cover, the blurb, the Irish setting. Time travel from present day (2001) NYC to 1920's Ireland.
History. Irish History in 1921 (!!) The historical significance was so gently woven into this sweet love history.
Anne is a great character-male or female. Such a quiet strength, more than she ever knew.
I won't give away too much of the plot, since it's best to experience it as the story goes. The story actually flows. It's really difficult to write a time travel story. Just going back and forth in a person's life is hard enough. Amy Harmon's writing is flawless.
Thomas is a very different Hero. So subdued but like Anne, he has a quiet strength. His journal entries are spot on to the story. The quotes by W.B. Yeats-at the start of each chapter, are spot on to what was happening/about to happen.
Eoin (pronounce Owen) is one of my favorite older/young child characters-ever.
When I finished this book, I felt like I wanted to start it all over again. I hardly ever feel like that.
I bought the audio, so I'm really looking forward to listening to it very soon.
This is a great story for those that are leery of historical fiction.

Amy Harmon did a wonderful job with this romantic historical fiction depicting the Native American life with the influx of the emitters, or wagon train immigrants traveling west.

John Lowry whose native name is Two Feet has a Pawnee mother and a white father. His mother brings him to his father, who has married a white woman, because she is dying . John never feels comfortable in either place. The Pawnee don’t welcome him and the white community don’t include him. He works for his father who is a mule Brewster and trainer where he meets Naomi May, a portrait artist. Her family is resettling out west and buys miles from John Lowry. With many adventures, tragedies, and celebrations, this is a good read with amazing insight to both the Narive American world and the emigre world.
#netgalley #WheretheLostWander

A Devastatingly Beautiful Story.

Where the Lost Wander feels like a slap in the face. Hurts but puts you on alert. Wakes you up. It makes you reflect on the past and find insights for the future.

The story takes place in the mid-1800s and follows The Mays, a family emigrating to California in a wagon train.

The descriptions are outstanding! I felt like I was there every step of the way. They have an emotional aspect that illustrates without getting boring. This is a rare treat, and I enjoyed it immensely.

During this long and arduous journey, the characters are introduced and dissected. Harsh times tend to bring out people's real dispositions, something the author used well to layer her characters.

Naomi May, the heroine, is a force to reckon with. She is determined and brave. An artistic soul forced by circumstance to focus on the rudimentary aspects of surviving.

John Lowry, the hero, is a man divided between two worlds. Born to an Indian mother, he was raised by his white father and his wife. He struggles, but he never places himself as a victim.

There is pain, there is loss, but there is hope, there is kindness, and there is love.

A memorable story. Highly recommended!

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Warning: Death and sexual violence.

I'm afraid I couldn't read this book because it was a pdf. The font was too small for my e-reader. This was a pity because Amy Harmon is an amazing writer.

"Where the Lost Wander" is a rich and beautiful piece of historical fiction set along the Oregon Trail.
The May family sets out on the Oregon Trail with a man they hired to lead the way and a hodgepodge of other families. Their oldest daughter, Naomi, is already widowed at age 20. She helps her pregnant mother take care of her three brothers during the journey. They are also traveling with a man who is
part Native American named John Lowery. John is in charge of the mules but take to the May family right away and helps them along the way.

Their journey over 2000 miles is full of adventure, hardships, endurance and somehow hope. Well written and beautifully paced "Where the Lost Wander" is a page turner.

****Advanced copy obtained from Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley***

I don’t read a lot of western romance books but I have read a few that I can say I know I don’t get in the story as I should but Amy Harmon has a way with words that makes the world she writes As real as a day, I felt like I was there with them and I felt what the characters felt, I cried and laughed and mourned and hated with them.
The way of the lives of the people who were trying to find good life for their families and the people who were trying to remain and hold on to their culture from intruders was told in an amazing way. This Author has yet surpassed my imagination and I recommend this book to everyone. Am emotional now so bye 👋

Stunning, breathtaking and at times heartbreaking story. I’ve read this on my kindle but I loved this story so much I will purchase the book when it comes out so I can display it on my shelf which is pretty much the highest praise I can give as shoves space is sparse. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review review. A rare 5 star rating well deserved.

I love Amy Harmon - she writes the most amazing, moving stories and this is no exception! It's a story that will stay with you long after you close the book.

“But . . . endurance . . . is a whole different kind of battle. It’s a hell of a lot harder. Don’t ever say you didn’t fight, because that’s never been true. Not one day of your whole life. You fought, Naomi. You’re still fighting.”
~Amy Harmon, Where the Lost Wander

Y’all. This book. I hardly have the words to express how much I loved it, or how deeply it wove itself into my soul. You know those books that you read and even a year later, you still find yourself thinking about it often? Well, that’s exactly how I feel about Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon.

If you’ve been following me for a little while, you know that I’m a massive fan of Amy Harmon’s books. I mean, it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that this whole account started as almost an Amy Harmon fan account.😂 And this book, is one of the many reasons why.

A powerful, moving love story set on the Oregon Trail, Where the Lost Wander is a story of pain, of endurance, of family, of finding one’s true self, and most of all: love. Passionate, powerful love that moves us to survive, to fight, even in the hardest of circumstances.

There is so much I could say about this incredible story, these words are hardly sufficient to describe how beautiful I found it, how moving, how important. I am once again in awe of Amy’s ability to write such an unforgettable story with characters that feel as real & well-crafted as the worn path they traveled.

Where the Lost Wander releases on 4/28, and is available for pre-order now. I highly recommend putting this book at the top of your TBR as soon as possible. 5/5 ⭐️’s.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read an Amy Harmon book and for some reason, I just decided it was time. I am pulled to historical fiction that I don’t know a lot about and American history hits that box for me. This book felt like a Jojo Moyes and it really gave me The Giver of Stars vibes (that’s a high compliment).

The prologue pulls you in with a bang, and then you spend much of the book learning about how the story got to the point of the prologue, and you get some great story beyond that. This was an epic narrative of emigration across an American trail…thousands of miles of journey and it was a survival story. It was brutal and I didn’t realise how tough this journey was with illness, children, death and conflict. I learnt a lot and it gripped me.

The two protagonists were Naomi, a young widow travelling with her parents and brothers and John, a half-Pawnee, half-white man who was taking mules for trade. John was an enigma at first, emotionally inept and he didn’t seem to know where he belonged. John’s growth as a character over this book was vast and that was my favourite part of the story.

"He cries like it’s the first time he’s ever cried, like all the pain of all his twenty-odd years is rising up at once."

I can’t and won’t even begin to describe what happened to these characters and families, it’s too big and too spoilery but it was a lot and it was grim. There brothers in this story were favourites and I lived for their chinks of light.

The indigenous people woven throughout this story were a range of tribes and had a range of ways. They were so fundamental to this story, John and Naomi and I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and people depicted. Lost Woman and Hanabi in particular, left an impression on me and Naomi.

WHERE THE LOST WANDER is a historical fiction with romantic elements rather than a historical romance and in that, it worked really well for me. On finishing, I feel like I have also been on a journey and I’m a little ’emotioned-out’. Highly recommended for all fans of historical fiction.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the early review copy.

Rated 4.5 Stars

Where The Lost Wander was a bit slow yet quite a compelling read. I was wholly invested in these characters, their lives, their journey and this story. It's an emotional rollercoaster. It didn't make me cry but I ran through the gamut of emotions while reading it. This author's books are always thought provoking, this one was no different. I loved and hated it. It was brutal. It was real. It was amazing. I highly recommend it.

❝Regardless of their possessions or their position, it seems everyone has the same dream. They all want something different than what they have now. Land. Luck. Life. Even love.❞

1853 in St. Joseph Missouri, the May family, joined by a wagon train of emigrants, sets out from Missouri in search of a better life out west.

Harmon's stunning portrayal of the trials and tribulations the band of travelers faced was both inspirational and tragic. Harmon is uncompromising in her depictions of death, rape, and loss. My heart was in my throat much of the time as I learned the fates of her characters. I yearned for their happiness as they embarked on a journey that would forever change them.

The beauty of the landscape and the people who inhabited it were captivating. But it was the strength and heroism of the females in this story that blew me away. From the white women who did all they could to keep their families together during their treacherous travels across the unrelenting land, to the Indian women who were the laborers, and nurturers in their families, I was spellbound by their resilience.

❝It's worth it, you know.❞
❝What is, Jennie?❞
❝The pain. It's worth it. The more you love, the more it hurts. But it's worth it. It's the only thing that is.❞

This was more than a romance, although there was a stunning and beautiful romance within the pages of this book, it was a love story of epic proportions -- love of others, love of land, and love of God (in many forms).

I live in Missouri. I was born and raised in Independence, Missouri, the 'jumping-off point' for the 3 trails, California, Santa Fe, and Oregon Trails. Many of the figures mentioned in this book are ones I learned about growing up. In fact, a middle school in Independence is named after Jim Bridger. I wish I had a physical copy of this book. I would have taken it exploring all of the sites mentioned.

A compelling work of historical fiction, 'Where the Lost Wander' captures the spirit of a generation of people who wanted more for their lives than the lot they were given. They were willing to do whatever was necessary to make their dreams happen, never settling for less, they always strove for more.

❝The hardest thing about life is knowing what matters and what doesn't. If nothing matters, then there's no point. If everything matters, there's no purpose. The trick is to find firm ground between the two ways of being.❞

Amy Harmon is a brilliant painter of words. Her words take the reader on a journey that fills your eyes with the most vivid of pictures without ever setting sight to nothing more than words on a page.

You can feel the struggle, the loss and pain but also the love between two people who found each other when they least expect it as they endure the hardships of a perilous journey. During everything they go through they also find the strength to go forward, to keep fighting for those they hold dear and to never, ever give up.

With so many historical romance books the story can become very daunting to read because the author goes into detail overload when it really isn't necessary. Ms. Harmon certainly proves that the devil is in the details as she provided us with the perfect amount to lure us in and hold us captive to the very last word.

The following review was published on my blog (www.blogginboutbooks.com) on 04.09.20:

After a short, disappointing marriage, 20-year-old widow Naomi May is ready to move on with life. Her restless spirit longs for adventure, which is exactly what she gets when she and her family embark on a journey along the Oregon Trail. What she doesn't expect is to fall in love. Even though Naomi knows a match between her and John "Two Feet" Lowry, a half-Pawnee muleskinner, would be considered scandalous even in the wild, wild West, she can't help but be drawn to his quiet strength. As the two trek along the trail with their company, they experience problems of every kind—illness, inclement weather, theft, broken wagon parts, animal stampedes, contention among the travelers, etc.—but when the worst happens, Naomi's heart is ripped in two. Abducted by hostile Indians, her baby brother ripped from her arms, she fears she'll never see those she loves again. Will she ever be reunited with her family? What about John? And what about all the happiness and prosperity they were hoping to find in Oregon? When everything else has been stripped away, where does one find the hope to carry on?

Perhaps it's my own pioneer ancestry or the fact that I grew up along The Oregon Trail, but I love me a good wagon trail story. Where the Lost Wander (available April 28, 2020) by Amy Harmon certainly fits the bill. It's an epic, expansive road trip novel that offers adventure, excitement, romance, heartbreak, and joy. Harmon's vivid prose helped me put myself in my ancestors' place and really feel these characters' emotions—everything from boredom with the monotony of walking the trail to frustration with slow wagons and nasty weather to fear of attack by man and beast to the excitement and wonder of first love and childbirth to the sorrow of loss and grief. Harmon doesn't romanticize the pioneer experience, but she does capture it in all its glorious triumph and agony. I loved Naomi and John, with their respective family and friends. While none of them gets an entirely happy ending, our leading lad and lady do receive a satisfying and hopeful one. If you can't tell, I loved this book, which swept me away, making me laugh, cry, and celebrate the indomitable strength and spirit of my own ancestors, who—like the May Family—risked their lives to find a place of safety and refuge far away, in the West.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder; Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee; Heart's Journey by Kristen McKendry; The Gold Seer trilogy [Walk On Earth a Stranger; Like a River Glorious; and Into the Bright Unknown] by Rae Carson; and The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck)

Grade: A


If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of Where the Lost Wander from the generous folks at Lake Union Publishing via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This will be a minority review I'm sure and it pains me to rate this book at 2 stars. Amy Harmon is one of favorite writers and the caliber of her writing is most definitely not in question with this harrowing journey of a story. She writes with such eloquence and great knowledge of words and how they flow to make excellent story structures. Unfortunately, I was just downright bored with this. I felt compelled to finish because, as stated, I adore this author's other books and her writing always impresses me, even in a case such as this where the story felt dull and didn't work for me.

The historical aspect of it was obviously well researched and crafted but the plot really drug through most the book. It was redundant and monotonous. I wasn't engaged with the story, in fact I picked it up and put it down so many times I lost count, I'm unsure if it's because of the time period of this journey or if the characters just didn't stimulate me enough. While there is an appreciation within me in understanding this story and having compassion for the strife, hardship, and tragedy of what Naomi and John and the others went through it just wasn't a book that left me in awe in any way.

Set in the 1850s, Where the Lost Wander is the story of Naomi, a young widow, and John Lowry, a half pawnee mule man. The story in its entirety is set on the Overland Trail as Naomi and her family journeys towards California along with John Lowry. It took me some time to get into the rhythm of the book but once I got attached, I couldn't...I wouldn't put it down.

Overall, I loved it and I would 100% recommend it to Amy Harmons fans and historical romance fans. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.