Eager to leave her grief behind, she sets off with her family for a life out West. The Overland Trail, 1853: Naomi May never expected to be widowed at twenty. 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. It’s a theme that makes Where the Lost Wander relatable on a very contemporary level.Where the Lost Wander Published by Lake Union Publishing by Amy Harmonįind the Author: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram, Pinterestįind the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads Though set in a very different time from our own, this story is one of courage in the face of the unknown and the importance of perseverance when all feels lost. The attraction between these two feels real, their challenges well-measured, their stories alternately heartrending and glorious. This is particularly true of the two leads – Naomi May, a young widow who sets out with her family for a new life in California, and John Lowry, a half-Pawnee mule driver who accompanies the train.

While a few characters are annoying and others downright evil, the bulk are likable. The prose is fresh, and the plot twists unexpected. Where the Lost Wander is beautifully written. This book reinforced some things I knew and introduced others. I have no relatives among the pioneers, but I’ve always been intrigued by their experience. But the tension introduced – the wondering when that trauma is going to happen and how it will be resolved – stayed in the back of my mind and kept me reading. Then she returns to the beginning and works forward, from which point the story is linear. Likewise, the innocence and purpose of her own forebears, who ventured to make what they had known would be an arduous trek.Ĭleverly, the author opens the story itself with a traumatic turn suffered by her female protagonist mid-trip. Her fascination with Native American culture is obvious she presents it with detail and compassion. Along with all their worldly goods, they travel with a full contingent of challenge, triumph, and loss.įirst, let me tell you about the end – actually, the afterword in which the author explains that she is descended from the pioneers on whom many of the characters are based. It takes place in 1850’s America, following a wagon train carrying families west on the Oregon Trail. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, you’ll find Where the Lost Wanderby Amy Harmon, a wonderful read.

Where the lost wander book