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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A page turner that I couldn’t put down.
5 stars
Wow, what an incredible storyteller this writer is! There is so much emotion in this book. I cannot wait to read more and see if all her stories are this good.
This book takes one back to the days when wagon trains crossed our continent from St Joseph, MO to California and Oregon. This was a trip full of hardship, death and tragedy. It was also a trip based on hope of a better life for those undertaking this arduous journey. Many did not make it to the end. The threat of nature, illness and attacks by Indians were constants that had to be endured and yet many continued on. This book centers around one young woman, her family and the young man she falls in love with along the way. Their road does not take them down easy paths which I will not tell you about but to suffice it to say it involves about every hardship I have mentioned. I thought this book was very good, kept my interest and hopefully we’ll researched. I do recommend it.
This was such a wonderful story, based on actual historical figures it was hauntingly beautiful and honest. I wanted to be travelling that trail west with John Lowry and Naomi May. Actually I wanted to be Naomi May. I have Oregon fever.
Really enjoyed this book.
Loved the strong woman lead character. I didn’t want this book to end. I wish this was a series!
The characters felt very real, as did the experiences they faced. There were enough people that it provided for the development of many subplots.
I liked this author so much I bought two more of her books on completion of this book.
During COVID, I’ve sought books that are easy to read. The characters were vivid and realistic.
Enjoyable
A great read.
Love ready about the westward movement and admire the courage of the pioneers.
When I first started reading this book I found it difficult to read first person, present tense. But after a while I settled in and enjoyed the narration. It presented a challenge to readers to examine their own thoughts about who they are, what it means to be and to survive, and how love for each other can transcend hate. It was tender, brutal, and beautiful all at the same time.
I enjoy Amy Harmon’s writing style. Her stories are imaginative, her characters unforgettable. I read What the Wind Knows and loved it. Where the Lost Wander was equally enjoyable!
Excellent book. A great fictional story based on true history. The characters come alive, making the reader feel a part of history.
God book
Amy Hartman’s tale of pioneers heading west is based on well researched history and people. Life on a wagon train was hard, well beyond my imagining based on an old TV western series. Hartman brings the time and place into into sharp focus for the reader. You are there with Naomi and John as they deal with cholera, dirt, a mind numbing,grueling trek and a diet that barely supports life. Add to that the prejudice against Native Americans, (especially those who, as John does, have one foot in both worlds) and you have a story that keeps you turning the page to see how the characters get through the next day, the next obstacle, the next trial. A vivid portrayal of the good and the bad in people, the friendships that endure, and the growth that comes from surmounting the hard and dangerous.
Amy’s books never disappoint. She has a way of bringing characters to life in such a way that you feel like you’re right in the story with them – cheering them on, mourning with them, and falling in love with them. Hearing the story of the May’s, John Lowry, and the Indian people, and the struggles they went through, and the tragedy and hope they found along the way was inspiring.
Based on some real life characters. Very well built characters
Great book
Great historical fiction didn’t want it to end. Great writing. Character’s that you loved learning about