Old school western romance, but absolutely beautifully written. Stunning prose, and a plot that leaves me amazed!The word that comes to mind as I reflect on this book is: rich. The writing, the storytelling, the characters, the pacing, literally every facet of the book is exquisitely done.

I've read many books by Amy Harmon and I've enjoyed all of them.

My favorite genre is western historical, especially one with a wagon train theme. So I was eager to read the author's description of travel on the Oregon trail. This was not a cookie cutter story of other books with the same theme. The hardship and determination of the characters resonated with me. This is a thought provoking book and I look forward to expanding my review on Goodreads as it gets closer to its release date.

Wow! What a read. I loved Where the Lost Wander. Amy Harmon does it again!!! I have loved everything I've read by her. What a compelling story and a page turner. Thank you for the opportunity to read. I will be sure to recommend to friends when published!

Amy Harmon keeps astounding me with the amount of research and effort she puts into every book. From Irish history to now the wild west, she makes sure to leave no stone unturned in making her stories authentic. There's also a tone of sincerity all her writing.

At the very beginning on her author's note, she makes it clear that the characters in this story are real, and people she has a real connection with. But it was the prologue that kind of drew me in immediately. And even though the pacing of the first half was a little slower than my liking, the anticipation of what was to come kept me keen.

Naomi May is a young widow traveling with her big family through the Overland trail. John Lowry is a man that has never felt like he belonged anywhere because of his half-pawnee roots. But when he meets Naomi, he finally feels that sense of belonging. Their courtship starts off as measured because of his reluctance. But there are external challenges too - danger, diseases death and loss. But these things only work to bring them closer.

It was the second half, the point onward after the prologue that made the story for me. Amy Harmon has a way of writing tragedy in a way that it does not turn into melodrama. Her writing has a thoughtful way of focusing more on the courage of the characters with which they deal with tragedy. In this book also, Naomi's courage wrenched my heart in a way that perhaps her breaking down wouldn't. The characters are all put in an impossible situation in the end and the resolution also seems impossible

Almost all the books by this author have magical realism to it. And while that may turn some readers off, I feel that it helps me understand the people in her books better.

It's almost surreal in this day and age to read about the struggle people went through in traveling from one state to another in search for better lives. Then there is the struggle of the man who is half-pawnee and has a hard time being in peace with himself. It's surreal that even though the times have changed, the world has not. There are still refugees who risk their lives every day for a better life. There are still minorities who live their lives feeling that they don't belong fully.

And this right here - the ability of this book to make me think so deeply - makes me rate it 5 stars.

4.5 STARS

Amy Harmon at her best! This is m 4th book by this author and I am sure of one thing after reading it - Amy Harmon can really write. Her prose is beautiful, flow of this story is well-paced and her characters are real-like and fleshed out.

Moreover, with this novel, she proves that she is great author of historical fiction. Firstly What the Wind Knows and now Where the Lost Wander. It was clear that Amy Harmon did her research well and provided detailed depiction of given historical period (she didn't shy away from any drastic parts that were common for crossing Oregon Trail in 19th century) and brought it alive for me. It's the ability that I really treasure in authors of this genre and with this novel, Amy Harmon secured firm place among authors that I read automatically when they release new book. At the end of the book, she even states which characters were real historical figures and what writing libirties she did or did not take to write their story. I loved that!

Now to the story. I have always had this fascination with stories/movies featuring Native Americans so Amy Harmon hit the mark with this novel for me. Thanks to lush writing style and captivating storytelling, Where the Lost Wander turned out ot be very powerful historical novel with strong romantic element. Romance wasn't the sole focus of this story which I was grateful for because I tend to get bored when book is focused only on romance. There were so many other things going on and important topics being discussed, so no, I would not call this historical romance in its traditional meaning.

But even though romance wasn't the most important part of this book, it was still very potent and realistic. Chemistry between John and Naomi was very strong and believable, I truly rooted for them to be together from the very beginning till the end of the book. Author didn't go easy on them (at all !!!) so there was not a single boring moment throughout the whole book when it comes to romance.

I enjoyed this novel thoroughly and cannot wait for more historical fiction by Amy Harmon!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

I received an ARC copy of this novel from Lake Union Publishers through Netgalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own. It has been a long time since I've read historical fiction and when I do read historical novels they are typically about WWII, so I thought I'd read the first few chapters to see if it would catch my attention, and I came up for air two days later after devouring this book! It will be hard to describe this book in a way that sounds as compelling as the characters and plot of this story are, but I will try.
It is 1853 and the May family along with a convoy of others are traveling on the Overland Trail out west. In this novel we learn the stories of the people in the convoy and the brutal trip they faced on their journey. It was bleak at times and also very inspiring. I highly recommend it.

Naomi and John's story on The Overland Trail in 1853 is heartbreaking as much as it is heartwarming. I love historical fiction but this story is more than just fiction, its Amy Harmon’s families’ story enriched and imagined from stories passed on by ancestors. I hope everyone who reads this book takes the time to read the Author’s Note to get more insight on how Naomi and John’s story came to be. As someone who is fascinated with genealogy, the details that Harmon shared were so interesting. I walked away from this book with a deep sense of familial pride that Harmon has for her and her husband’s ancestry. She intertwines facts with fiction so beautifully. Harmon also did a wonderful job covering some difficult to read and sensitive topics. I highly recommend Where the Lost Wander!

My thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my review. 

#NetGalley #WheretheLostWander

A harrowing, heartbreaking and incredible tale of love, family and hearbreak set on the American Frontier. Amy Harmon is one of those authors that breathe beauty and life in her tales. Once you read that first page, you're swept into the characters lives, what they are going through and are flipping the pages wanting what is coming next. Naomi and John's (Two Feet) story is absolutely riveting. Falling in love during the hardship of traveling by wagon train is hard but what a ride it is. The misery is apparent yet they are happy. I'm not going to give anything away. Readers are going to read this in one sitting...at most two. It's just that good. Thank goodness we have authors like this who pour their hearts into their writing. What an amazing read this was.

Release Date April 28, 2020

​This was the Okayest book that I loved the most. This book and I got off to kind of a rocky start. The initial writing, particularly dialogue made me question its historical accuracy. I am not a historian, so it is probably perfect, maybe just different than I was expecting. There was a big chunk of “memory” that maybe should have been sprinkled throughout the book instead of just dumped near the beginning. Hopefully, that will be corrected, since this was an advance copy… With that being said, I loved this book more with every page I read.

I have been into historical fiction lately and westerns are no exception. I would actually love to see westerns make a comeback. They are such an exciting mix of danger and naïve optimism. This book did a good job of illustrating that people did not put their lives on hold while they were on the trail. They continued their hobbies and work in some cases, got married, and had babies. Can you imagine? Having a baby. On the trail. Westerns are wild.

Naomi and John are fun, strong-willed characters that play off each other nicely. Amy Harmon does a good job of writing the sexual tension between the two characters and it helps add to the excitement of the story. It was amazing to find out that John Lowry and many other characters in this book were real people with a personal connection to the author. Don’t miss the author’s note, it was one of my favorite things about this book.

This is a western expansion, soft romance. If you like wagon trains, pioneers, settlers, Indians and sexual tension with no sex, this is the book for you. Fans of the ancient series Into the West (2005) will love this book. If you are looking for a western with no romance try News of the World.

Where the Lost Wander is a historical romance - a love story between John and Naomi during their trek toward the west. It depicts the hardship, sacrifice, fear, and death the people face along the way. Naomi is a widower and John is half white and half Pawnee. They are an unlikely pair, but they bonded and fell in love through all the adversity. There is a lot going in this book than a love story to really summarize. The dynamic of Naomi’s family. John’s life struggles as a half-Pawnee man half white yet a stranger in both world. Life and death on the Overland Trail, the tragedy, and the sacrifice they faced. The details of the landscapes described was quite remarkable, beautiful, vivid, and well researched. There is a bit of violence and a few other triggers that were a little difficult for me What can I say, I like roses and sunshine but that wouldn’t be real, would it? There isn’t a lot of hot and heavy scenes either given the timeline, but very romantic in a beautiful, old fashion kind of way. If you love historical romance, you must read this. It’s a heartbreaking, inspiring story about love, loss, sacrifice, and new beginnings. Must I say the author’s writing is exquisite? I suspect you already knew that!

One of my favorite historical romance. Simply STUNNING!

Can you imagine traveling by wagon train from Illinois to Missouri all the way to California? The immense hardship and loss. Strength and perseverance. Love and family. John Lowry is one of my all time favorite characters. His Indian name, Two feet, given because he straddles both the white world and the world of his mother. And Naomi, the only daughter in a family full of boys with aging parents who need and rely on her. I can relate! I loved her story and admired her determination.
A great story for those who love history and the human desire to dream of a better life.

Where the Lost Wander was an enjoyable story about an emigrant train on the Oregon Trail. The story alternates between the two love interests. Naomi - a young widow traveling with her parents and brothers - and John Lowry - a half Pawnee half white young man looking for a new start. The story is not light with many details about the hardships the emigrants encountered along the trail. I enjoyed both main characters and the development of their relationship. The ending felt rushed and little incomplete to me.

Where the Lost Wander is historical fiction written during the westward movement in American history. I have always been most fascinated by this time period and have personally traveled along the Platte River and into Wyoming following the trail described in this book. Having seen the terrain and the landmarks described in this book myself I was easily able to imagine the trials of the pioneers and their wagon train. The details of the book were well researched and written beautifully. The characters of John, Naomi, and the May family were believable and I was drawn into their struggles, sorrows, and joys. I commend the author for not shying away from the difficult topics and hardships that pioneers on the trails west faced, however these incidents will be difficult for some readers.
I look forward to enthusiastically recommending this book and I give thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book and I am providing this, my unbiased review and opinion.

I will post this review to Goodreads closer to the time of its release.

I love Amy Harmon's books and have made it a personal mission to get her books in as many people's hands as possible. She is so underappreciated. This was a book that I kept thinking about until I could finish it and I am sure that I will continue to think about.

I do not like historical novels. They are not my go to for a good read - UNLESS Amy Harmon writes them. She is flawless in her research, her writing and her attention to every detail. She tells you the truth, she shows the reader the ruthlessness and the how hard it was to be a pioneering family. Everyone needs to read this

Where the Lost Wander is a beautifully written book by Amy Harmon. It is an epic western, historical fiction, and romance book all in one. The story follows a journey from Missouri to California in a wagon train. Going across the country in the 1850's was not easy. There were bugs, lack of water or difficult crossing of water, fire wood could be scarce, diseases, death, hunger, & Indians were some of the threats to these determined people.

Naomi and her family join a wagon train. They face many hardships in their travels. Naomi is a talented artist which helps her along the way and is woven throughout the book. Naomi is also newly widowed. She chose to travel with her family even though her in-laws were part of the wagon train. This does causes some tension in the group.

John is a mule man and was supposed to deliver some mules to a fort along the way and return home. John basically finds love at first site of Naomi. John has inner demons about his being loved and accepted and personal conflicts about being half white and half Indian. John and Naomi have a nice courtship and romance on the trail west with some near misses on being together.

While this story is not entirely new, it is well written. The historical facts are somewhat based on the authors family. The book kept me interested all the way through and the ending ended up being a real page turner for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book for an honest opinion! The book will be published April 28, 2020 #NetGalley #AmyHarmon #WheretheLostWander

I can’t get enough of Amy Harmon’s books! She is such a talented writer. This is the third I have read, and all have been completely different. In Where the Lost Wander, we become immersed in the journey of emigrants crossing the plains in the mid-1800s. Love, loss, self-awareness, culture... there is so much depth to the story This one was a bit slower paced but that just meant more to enjoy. Harmon blends fact and imagination to make the perfect historical fiction novel.

Amy Harmon has such a way with words, I go through so many emotions every one of her books. Where the Lost Wander is no exception. If you're looking for a book to pull you in from start to finish, look no further.

This is an epic wagon train adventure set a few years after the California Gold Rush. The male lead, John, is a half-caste man (Pawnee mother, white father) trying to find his place in the world. The female lead, Naomi, is a young widow travelling with her family in the wagon train with which John is helping. Naomi is not prepared to follow the norm of marrying again quickly as some think there is little future for her without a husband. Adventures on the 2000 mile trek west highlight the hardships of the time, with death coming in many disguises. The viewpoint of the native American is well represented and the characters are strong and sympathetic. highly recommended.