What a beautiful story. For me it was very slow to start. Was kinda boring in some areas. But it gives you perspective of life long ago with Indians and immigrants and the troubles they had to endure on their journey from Missori to California.

When it comes to historical fiction Amy is a magician with her keyboard. She has a way of taking you out of the present and transporting you back in time, whenever and wherever that may be. Her descriptions and world building are some of my favorite things to read.

This book was nothing short of exquisite. The characters, the time, the world. Just everything about it was captivating from the very beginning. Amy takes you are a hard journey but in the end you can be nothing but in awe of how she makes you feel. In one second she could be breaking your heart and in the next your heart is mended and filled with nothing but joy. This is the magic of Amy Harmon.

I'm going to leave this one short and sweet because in the end there are no words I could type out to even begin to describe how I truly feel about this story. If you love historical fiction please pick this one up or any of Amy Harmon's books in this genre. She will leave a mark. I promise.

I was so excited to read this book. I wanted so badly to love it. I've seen nothing but great reviews. I'm so happy for Amy Harmon in that regard. She's such a beautiful human.

I hate having to say it wasn't for me. I've recently gotten into historical fiction and love it. This book, however, was so slow for almost the entire book. I kept thinking, HOPING, it would pick up. It just barely did towards the end. I'm left teetering here in the middle. The writing was good as always with Amy Harmon novels. There were good moments throughout as well. As a whole I just felt underwhelmed. Maybe this part of history just isn't for me.

I think if this time period is of great interest to you, you'll probably like this book. If you're just slightly interested- like me, I could honestly take it or leave it- you might have a hard time getting through it.

I’ve read MANY historical western romance over the years, and the plot for Where the Lost Wander isn’t unique, it’s actually a fairly typical plot about a hero that is both, white and Native Indian, and a wagon train going west. But what makes this book so fantastic is that the author took the basics of a classic historical western romance and turned it into a beautiful work of art.

The book was just STUNNING!!! Beautiful, raw, thoughtful, and touching.

THE COMBINATION OF ALL OF THE ABOVE MADE FOR A COMPELLING, AND UNFORGETTABLE TALE.

And I think what makes it stand out even more is the eye for historical detail, the feeling that these people were drawn from something more. It’s a love story, more than a romance and it comes deep from the heart. Naomi and John’s love for each other was palpable, and transcendent.

Where the Lost Wander isn’t a steamy book. There is actually barely any sex at all in this book. Instead the romance goes much more deeper, and the story follows this epic but also at times tragic journey across America, on a wagon train where many will never reach their destination. 1850’s wasn’t a kind period for settlers. Battles between the natives and the settlers, sickness and disease ravaged the country. This book is real, raw and feels entirely authentic.

I fell in love with both, Naomi and John. Both were steadfast, and grounded people. Knowing what they wanted, but also aware of repercussions, and expectations. Naomi had in someway an easier time because she was widowed and had the freedom to chose John without having to worry about what people thought. John, was more circumspect. He knew what it meant to live as neither, fully white, nor fully native. He walked as both but also lived in neither. And he didn’t want Naomi to feel the same. So he had thoughts. I liked that he was a thinker, quiet, peaceful, and hardworking. Naomi was the dreamer, artist, carer. They matched so well, and completed the other in a most touching way.

This book was everything a historical western romance should be. Incredibly well researched, characters that were likable and genuine, and a plot that had heart and soul.

RATING: 5/5 STARS

What a stunning book! In WHERE THE LOST WANDER, Amy Harmon delivers a story of unwavering love, heartbreaking loss, dangerous excitement, and realistic struggle in the background of the Oregon Trail in the 1850s. Naomi May, recently widowed, is traveling west with her family. On the trail, she forms a unique connection with John Lowry, who is half-Pawnee and half-white.

I loved both Naomi and John. Harmon excels at alternating POV chapters, and I felt that I got to know both main characters well throughout their journey. Naomi is headstrong and knows what she wants, while in counter to her John is patient and unaccustomed to letting people in, always feeling straddled between the two worlds of his battling heritage. The dynamic between the two of them was delightful, and really makes the reader root for their relationship to develop.

The supporting characters are also excellent. The May family (especially Naomi's brothers) comes to life on the page, as well as the other families who are traveling west. Naomi and John encounter Native Americans from different tribes, and these characters are well-personified and bring up interesting moral dilemmas as their culture and values clash with those of the white emigrants. Harmon does an excellent job of displaying the morally ambiguity of humanity--that there is good and bad in all of us. The danger of hatred toward any one group is highlighted, and furthermore symbolized by John himself who is a blend of both.

No work of fiction is complete without excellent writing, and this book definitely delivers. The descriptions of the setting were so immersive, and were weaved beautifully into the pioneer narrative. I also enjoyed reading about Naomi's artwork and John's love for animals. It was details like those that solidified this book onto my favorites list.

I cannot emphasize how touched I was by this novel. The care and attention to detail that went into it blew me away. It portrays conflict between Native Americans and white settlers honestly but with compassion for both sides. The author's note explained her connection to actual figures who lived in that time, many of whom are showcased in the story.

I will give a warning that this book is darker than I expected going into it. It is a truthful depiction of the harsh circumstances of the Oregon Trail and contains descriptions of violence, sickness, and death. But at its core is a thread of optimism and gentle spirituality. Please do yourself a favor and read this book if you like historical fiction or romance!

A sincere thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Social: @_shelf.awareness on Instagram

Like all Amy Harmon books this is fantastic! I love wagon train romance and this is possible my new favorite. The writing is great, the characters are real and easy to relate to. I definitely would recommend!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review

Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon is an excellent, gripping, and emotional historical fiction that tells of the hardships and events that took place in the 1850s with the trips made out west to find opportunities for men and families alike.
Ms Harmon does an excellent job in depicting the landscapes, the locations, and the emotions of the characters involved. She definitely has a talent to paint a picture that is completely immersive and draws the reader so deep it is as if one is actually there.
This is not an easy read. Yes, there is a romance between Naomi May Caldwell and Joseph Lowry. The hard subject matter that is told of the deaths, suffering, losses, hardships, and much more do not sugar coat the actual history. While it was hard to read, it is important for readers to know what things were truly like at that time.

I also enjoyed learning and reading about different Native American tribes throughout the novel as well. I love when I can learn something new.

I also enjoyed the Author’s note to learn that the story is based off of real family members, as well as some of the fact vs fiction.

4/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I am speechless. Every time i pick up an Amy Harmon book, I feel like I am ready for the emotional roller coaster I will be on, but I never am. I can't describe how wonderful this book is. The writing is superb and the characters are so real, I feel like I am riding right along with them the entire book. I'm not going to lie, there are some hard parts to this book, but the story is engaging and wonderful. I could not put it down. Seriously, if you have not read any books by Amy Harmon, what are you waiting for? This one is definitely a must read. 5+ stars.

I received a copy of the book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Life and its struggles, magically retold in this epic historical romance. Amy made me feel every emotion possible in this unique tale. It stole my heart and mind from beginning to end. An amazing way to end my 2019 reading journey, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.
4.5 Stars

This is a nicely written story of the wagon trains westward journey. There is a lot of Native American culture included. I just found the story a little too simplistic for my taste, but all in all a good story.

As much as I love historical fiction, I sometimes get bored with the standard WW2 setting. I loved the fresh setting of the Midwest during the Oregon Trail time. The love story and detail of the struggles that those people faced captivated my attention the entire time. I love Amy’s books and this was no exception.

I fell in love with this book the second I started reading it. I couldn't put it down until it was over.

Naomi and John's journey was filled with hardships and heartbreak that would be enough to break even the strongest. But they conquered everything that was thrown at them and made it to the end. Not only did they save themselves but they saved each other and made a beautiful life that anyone would be proud of.

Another amazing story Amy Harmon thank you for sharing your gift with us.

Genre: Historical Fiction Romance
Steamy?: Mild
Cliffhanger?: No
Can be read as Standalone?: Yes
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

It is books like this that remind me why I am so stingy when giving out 5 star ratings. A book has to really, really earn that rating. While reading this story – this JOURNEY - I was thinking that this was the best Amy Harmon book I’ve read since Running Barefoot. But after finishing it, I am now thinking this was one of the best books I’ve read EVER! Words cannot describe the depth and beauty of this poignant work of art. It is truly, truly a hauntingly epic and heartbreaking read that will stay with you long after you have read the final line. Bravo to Amy Harmon… a true literary artist.

Where the Lost Wander tells the story of the May family and their pilgrimage West on the Oregon Trail. You are drawn in with the prologue and captivated with the entire story. Naomi May is widowed at 20, but when her parents and in laws decide to go West to California she decides to leave her grief and start a new life. At the Jumping Off Point in St Joseph she meets John Lowry who is driving mules to Fort Kearney for the Army. John's Uncle is the wagon train master and asked John to help with the train until they arrive in Fort Kearney. John is half white and half Pawnee, he struggles with a foot in each world, yet not belonging anywhere. Through the trials and tribulations of life on the trail, John finds himself accepted at the May campfire, and willing helpers with his mules from the May boys. Naomi finds herself falling in love with John, whether he wants her to or not, which earns him ill will from her in laws. #WheretheLostWander is based on real people and the journals of people who made this journey West. Ms. Harmon has done extensive research on the life of the pioneers, the trail and how places like Fort Kearney, Fort Laramie and others looked at the time. It was hard to put down once you started reading and I appreciate #NetGalley offering me the chance to review it for my honest opinion.

Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon is a gripping, stand alone novel, a lesson in history. The story is set in the time of mid 19th century; when emigrants were on their way to a better future, the time of gold rush and open land. The Americas are a young country and everything goes, so it seems.
Naomi May is a 19 year old, and together with her family she's on her way to a better future. Only this better future is just that, future. The now is what threatens to destroy all her happiness.
John Lowry is a man who's an outsider from birth. He never fits in, not in his fathers and certainly not in his mothers world. He's a guide and when he meets Naomi he can't get her out of his head. They have to endure more than one person should have to carry and my heart was hurting for the characters.
Don't get me wrong, this is kind of a love story, not a romance, but a beautiful love story. The story is complex, the writing is excellent and the book is unputdownable. I started reading and I couldn't put it down, I simply couldn't. And that took a toll on me. John and Naomi's story is raw, gritty, gutting and heart wrenching, hauntingly beautiful, a tearjerker that I can't get out of my head.
Where the Lost Wander is hands down, my favorite read in 2020. I highly, highly recommend this masterpiece, 5+ Stars.

Where the Lost Wander was an incredible, vivid, and fascinating book. Set in the 1850's, pioneers travelling the Oregon Trail across the USA, seeking a better life, and facing a very rough road. The characters were so impactful and fantastic, they are certain to stay with me a long time. A stunning love story, and a story of family bonds, loss, bravery and adversity. Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author for the early reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Amy Harmon does it again and I can't even say I'm surprised. She's a dynamic writer, with each book being better than the last. Where the Lost Wander may be my new favorite of hers, and if I hadn't already made my list of favorite books for the year, this beauty would have been at the top of the list. 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.

One of my favorite things about historical fiction is being sucked back in time as if I'm actually there myself. Unfortunately, many books within this genre do not possess the ability to transport me back. Sometimes the history gets too heavy, making the plot drag. Though I love pioneering stories, I thought this tale might have a tendency to drag as slowly as the oxen pulling the wagons. Boy, was I wrong in my assumption! Where the Lost Wander had no lulls -- I was sucked in as I read the very first page and was torn between eagerly reading and slowly savoring this book. It was one I didn't want to end and I knew I would have the most epic of book hangovers after finishing.

As always, after finishing Amy's books I'm at a loss for words. I want to do the book the justice it deserves, but my language is inadequate. There are numerous life lessons, beautiful sentiments, and emotional moments within this story. It pulled deep feelings from me and had me in tears by the end of the book. Sometimes blogging and reading can feel like a chore, with the special books coming fewer and farther between, but this was exactly the type of novel to reignite my love of reading.

I especially loved that the story didn't sugarcoat the brutality of this time in history and the hardship of being a pioneering family. Amy's author's note in the end made me further realize how often we try to reshape history to make us feel more comfortable in our modern lives. Whether we agree with the past, it's not our duty to rewrite the story. We should accept it as is, if anything, it should make us better today.

I eagerly recommend all of Amy's books to anyone and everyone, but this one is at the top of the stack. Pick up a copy on April 28, 2020 - you won't want to miss this evocative journey!

Thanks to Amy Harmon, Netgalley, and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a digital advance copy of this novel. Set in 1853 on the Oregon Trail, Where the Lost Wander is an exceptional, moving story of hardship and love. I don’t read much historical fiction but I loved this novel from the first page and was sad to see it end. Highly recommend!

I seriously have to give it to Amy Harmon. There is literally not one thing she writes that I don’t love. I am not a huge fan of historical fiction but WTLW takes us on a story I personally have never seen. She has these characters that are weaving in and out of your soul telling a story of hope, love, loss and everything in between. I was forced to put the book down because of my family, but as soon as I had a free second, I was jumping back in. This story was just perfection.


*more in depth review to come closer to release date*

5 “ugly and wonderful” stars
“I realize now that life is just a continual parting of the ways, some more painful than others.”

This book… this book!
Once again I wrote, rewrote this review and rewrote it once more! I never know how to craft my reviews to convey all the feelings that I get while reading Amy’s stories.

What will I tell you first as I have so many emotions battling inside?

That I was shedding tears on the train, again? Tears of sadness and tears of gratitude.
That Naomi and John were an evidence? Will I talk how they just made sense together?
Or will I tell you that this story is about finding his place in the world when you are from mixed origin? That this heritage will make you extra cautious when you love someone and think really hard, as you know that people will judge?
Maybe I’ll choose to talk about these pioneers, their courage, their hard life and about the brilliant job Amy did making them feel real?

The truth simply is that this historical fiction is brilliant!

Written with Amy’s beautiful prose it’s also slightly different from her other stories with some true but gritty parts. I respect that Amy did not shy away from some very harsh realities of that time. There is one scene that could be a trigger for some but it’s been written such as to spare us the graphic details. Kind of fade to black if you want but present nonetheless.
I bet all you want that Amy fretted over writing that scene or avoiding it, but I am glad she went all the way as this adds an added layer of authenticity to the story.

Authenticity is a key word.
I could feel that Amy did once more a fantastic job of researching many historical facts. How pioneer’s life was around 1850. What it felt being between two races, Indian and “white”. What motivated people to go on these dangerous adventures. What their hope and dreams were.
“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. Everyone chatters about what we’re going to find when we get there. I’m no different, I suppose, though I’m more worried about what we’re going to find along the way.”

The story takes place in 1853 following a caravan of pioneers departing from Missouri and headed to California. We’ll read about mules and horses, jacks and oxen. How people crossed rivers once, twice sometimes more, often in the same day, carrying their belongings, coaxing their mules.
We’ll learn that these pioneers lost weight while traveling as between forts the food could grow scarce. Pregnant women gave birth without any help from a nurse or doctor and were expected to resume their duties quite soon after. If you wanted to wash, you did it either in the pouring rain with your bar of soap, cleaning your family’s clothes, either in the cold river. No hot bath on the way.
Encounters with Indians could go peacefully or become ugly. And when you committed a crime you rarely had a fair trial. Justice was swift and death punishment not uncommon.
This is the wild west Amy wrote about! And she did it splendidly!

But above all else, this is a romance! A love story! And a family story too. It would not be Amy otherwise.
Naomi May is twenty and already widowed.
She is following her parents and her brothers all the way to California. Their wagon train will be guided by Abbott, an experienced guide and accompanied part of the way by his nephew John Lowry.
John is half Pawnee by his mother half white by his father.
He’s been raised by his father’s wife Jennie and I would like to take a moment to praise that woman.
She welcomed John amidst her family. If she was not the kissing and smothering type, she raised John right and showed her acceptance and tenderness through small actions.

John is stuck between two world and does not feel like fitting in any.
“My mother’s people called me Two Feet. One white foot, one Pawnee foot, I am not split down the middle, straddling two worlds. I am simply a stranger in both.”

When John meets Naomi, it will be instant pull between these two unique characters.
Naomi is strong and knows her mind. John thinks …a lot. Too much would tell Naomi.
“Thinking takes time. Feeling . . . not so much. Feeling is instant. It’s reaction. But thinking? Thinking is hard work. Feeling doesn’t take any work at all. I’m not saying it’s wrong. Not saying it’s right either. It just is. How I feel . . . I can’t trust that, not right away, because how I feel today may not be how I feel tomorrow. Most people don’t want to think through things. It’s a whole lot easier not to. But time in the saddle gives a man lots of time to think.”

Naomi is fire. I loved her banter and sharp tongue. Never mean but always funny and somewhat irreverent. Naomi loves drawing. That’s her way to see the world, to express her feelings and to collect memories. Dutiful daughter, I loved the relationship she had with her mother.
Both were strong women. Naomi knows her mind. Knows what she wants. She has been raised by an open-minded mother and John’s mixed blood has no importance whatsoever to her. She sees John, the man, his worth, his strength, his honor, his loyalty and his protectiveness. Naomi is determined to woo John, even if she knows the dance won’t be easy and she is not afraid to tell him her mind.
“That is not the way I want to be kissed,” she says. “No?” “No, I want you to kiss me like you’ve been thinking about it from the moment we met.”

John’s heritage has made him into someone cautious but also very aware that he’ll always feel different from others. He is a simple, considerate and smart man. John is hard working and loves his mules and horses. He keeps to himself as he knows others distrust him. I loved how patient he was with Naomi’s brothers even if Webb was always talking his ears off! I loved how he helped everyone in the caravan, how he tried to avoid confrontation when possible and choose the peaceful road. I loved how protective of Naomi and her family he became.
“John does not flirt. He doesn’t say pretty, empty things. He listens, soaking everything in. John’s a doer. An observer. And his thoughts, when he shares them, are like little shoots of green grass on a dry prairie. The flowers on the prickly pears that grow among the rocks.”

As the synopsis said, a tragedy will strike them and they’ll go through fire in the hope of having a future together.

Told in Amy’s graceful and powerful writing, this love story engulfed me and propelled me into Naomi and John’s hard, uncompromising yet beautiful world. I smiled, I swooned, I cried, I feared, I hurt and I hoped.

A big thank you to the Lake Union Publishing for my copy as I had the privilege and enormous joy to read this story way ahead! As usual, it does not influence my review in the least and this is willingly posted (dang I would boss everyone to read it anyway 😊 ).