I thoroughly enjoyed Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon. It is the story of Naomi May, a young woman who is travelling the Overland Trail in 1853 with her family. They are headed to California to start a new life. While waiting to cross the Missouri at St. Joseph she meets John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man who is accompanying the wagon train as a guide.

While the trip is difficult and dangerous, John and Naomi are drawn to each other and John, who was planning on returning to Missouri decides to continue on to California with Naomi’s family. At Fort Bridger they are separated while John purchases a wagon and supplies. He plans to catch up with the wagon train in a few days. Unfortunately while separated, tragedy strikes when Indians attack. Naomi is taken and John vows to get her back.

This story of adventure and survival immediately drew me in and although I didn’t always agree with the decisions that Naomi made, the story certainly tugged at my emotions. The author describes the difficulty of pioneer life and I was interested to discover at the end of the book that many of these characters are based on real people. The slow burning romance, the hardships encountered and the hope for a better future combined to make Where the Lost Wander a memorable read. ( )

WOW, this is the first book I've read by this author and I absolutely loved it!
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and looked forward to reading this story every night. My favorite genres are historical fiction and suspense/thrillers and this was a refreshing story covering a fresh time period for me.
The book takes place in the 1850s as families make their way west in covered wagons. It's such a well-written book shining light on the struggles of the pioneers and the native americans in this period of change and survivial.
I was all-in with the main characters: John Lowry, "two feet" - a man who sticks to his promises, beliefs, and loves and forgives with all his heart, and Naomi, a young widow who is spunky, determined, and knows what she wants - John.
This is a book I'll read again. It was fantastic! ( )

Exquisite. ( )

For me this book was just ok. It felt like a long-winded romance. I found it to be a bit cliché and a bit repetitive. ( )

Lovely historical fiction about the Oregon Trail. Really brings the period to life. This is my favorite kind of historical fiction, the kind that makes you go look up the real people and places you read about. A romance intertwined with the story that was lovely. ( )