In this epic and haunting love story set on the Oregon Trail, a family and their unlikely protector find their way through peril, uncertainty, and loss.
The Overland Trail, 1853: Naomi May never expected to be widowed at twenty. Eager to leave her grief behind, she sets off with her family for a life out West. On the trail, she forms an instant connection with John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man … half-Pawnee man straddling two worlds and a stranger in both.
But life in a wagon train is fraught with hardship, fear, and death. Even as John and Naomi are drawn to each other, the trials of the journey and their disparate pasts work to keep them apart. John’s heritage gains them safe passage through hostile territory only to come between them as they seek to build a life together.
When a horrific tragedy strikes, decimating Naomi’s family and separating her from John, the promises they made are all they have left. Ripped apart, they can’t turn back, they can’t go on, and they can’t let go. Both will have to make terrible sacrifices to find each other, save each other, and eventually…make peace with who they are.
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Hey, Amy Harmon — I don’t often call myself a fan of things, but I’m a fan of your writing. What an amazing book! At first, I was drawn in by the beautiful and unique cover. Soon, I was fascinated by the characters who are believable, lovable and admirable. This book explores the similar frailties and triumphs of white pioneers and various native American nations effectively, without being preachy. The love story between John and Naomi was romantic without being ridiculous. I highly recommend reading “Where the Lost Wander”.
Nice take on the pioneer journey west….
Written by one of my favorite authors, I was expecting something really good. While I wasn’t exactly disappointed, this is not my favorite Amy Harmon book. That’s not to say this isn’t good, it was. Set in 1853, twenty-year-old, widowed Naomi May and her family are going west via the Oregon trail in a wagon train with a number of other families including her in-laws. Naomi is no simpering miss and she is instantly drawn to John Lowry, a half-Pawnee, half-white man who has no intentions of becoming entangled with a white woman. John has suffered much bias in his life and he knows that getting involved with Naomi is suicide. That’s just part of the drama on this arduous trip to the west.
What I really enjoyed about this book were the in-depth descriptions of the places along the way on their trip. I loved the interaction between Naomi and her parents and brothers. I wasn’t too fond of her pious in-laws. A lot happens along the way, I won’t even go into it, but this is an enjoyable read for those who enjoy stories about this particular time in American history.
There are some very sad, painful experiences along the trail. Tissues may be warranted. John and Naomi are thrown together and must overcome much hardship to make a life out of unimaginable despair and loss. I gave this three and a half stars.
I normally wouldn’t look at a book based in the 1800’s but I am a fan of Ms. Harmon, so I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did because I was not disappointed. No matter what century you’re in, a love story is a love story. Family is family and tragedy is tragedy. I don’t think I’ll ever forget Naomi and John’s journey. You get so engrossed in the story you can almost forget your hundreds of years in the past.
I really enjoyed this book. It gave you a feel for what previous generations went through to settle the lands, etc. It really makes one appreciate the simplistic life we have these days. The characters were definitely ones that you wept for and cheered as well. Looking forward to reading more from Amy Harmon.
5 Stars. The beautiful love story at the heart of this historical pulled me in!
A stunning story of love and loss. I was absolutely spellbound.
This book will take you and drag you along behind on the wagon train journey west. It is an emotional rollercoaster with tense moments, followed by happy relief, while other times it leaves you staring at the page with tears streaming down your face. It dives deep into the grueling journey west, and totally immerses you in the story. It will leave you wondering if we are all lost and wandering in our own lives. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves an epic tale, and isn’t afraid to dive into the rich history the American West has to offer.
Loved it
You’ll love the strong characters here. I learned so much from this book about day-to-day life on a wagon train moving west. I never care “who shot John”, so I’m not much for murder mysteries. I want to LEARN something from a book and this one certainly fits that bill. I was delighted to read the afterword and know how much was based upon real individuals. There is tragedy and death here, but no drummed up ” bad guys” to create tension. There is enough tension just to get through the day without bending an axle, being swept away in a river crossing, or dying of cholera. How I wish we, as a nation, hadn’t lost the guts and determination these people had to do whatever it takes to find a better life.
A good change of pace.
Historical fiction with dignified sex thrown in. Great characters.
I loved this book and have now added Amy Harmon to my list of favorite authors.
This is the flip side of the sunny portrayal of pioneer life found in the Little House on the Prairie books. Here we see the sickness, misery, boredom and fear experienced by those brave and desperate souls who journeyed westward in Conestoga wagons. And we see the despair and anger of the native Americans displaced by the settlers’ relentless migration. It’s a love story, an adventure, and a great social commentary. Read it.
This takes you on the Overland Trail – the year: 1853. Action packed, tears, hardships and what life on the wagon train was like.
I love Amy Harmon!!!!!!!!She has once again built an amazing story based on her family’s pioneer history. I also have it on audible and will listen to it again. The characters are real, the story believable.Harmon is great at blending the two together. I have recommended her books before, recommend this good read too.
I gave it slightly more than my “Memorable” rating simply because I like pioneer books.
I actually read this book because one of the reviews said it was a unique take on the usual Oregon trail story. And that’s something I’ve always been interested in. I’m not sure now that that’s what the book was. Unless you consider a somewhat sappy romance filled with lots of coincidences is a unique take. Don’t get me wrong, I never considered not finishing the book, but it wasn’t one of those books that I hated to put down at night, or couldn’t wait to get to the next day. If a book takes me a week to read, it wasn’t a great book. You know from the very start of this book that it’s a romance and that’s basically what it is. Yes it takes place on the Oregon trail, although actually the families are headed for California, and we see a lot of the hardships of that journey. But so many coincidences that enable these people to survive. I was just disappointed. And I was absolutely convinced that there was going to be a part two because the ending came down to the very very end of the book and I was no way going to buy the second book because I want a book to wrap up within the book. So in all, somewhat disappointing but not a terrible read.
I enjoy good historical fiction and I thought this book was excellent.
This is a must read for those who enjoy historical fiction. It was filled with tragedy and angst, but a very good story.