Where the Lost Wander: A Novel

Sometimes, I have no words to describe a book I loved so much. And after finishing this book, I couldn’t describe it.This book is in his own class, and has his own place in my heart. In addition, the book entered the list of the best books I read this year. For me, reading a book "twice" is like I'll be abroad right now, but, it happens to me once in while... The last book that made me want to read it twice was four months ago. What does it mean? It's hard for me to disconnect from this book because it's so good that it left a mark on my heart. It’s hard for me to move on to the next book, and I want to start it again as soon as I'm done because I don't want to leave it. And I'm even happier that this happened to me with the author I love the most and admire her, her writing and her courage to write these books. Our journey begins in 1853 in the US. Naomi has never seen herself become a widow at the age of 20. The family embraces and supports her. Especially her mom. She sees her mother as a role model and admire her, She sees her as a smart, great woman, a figure to live by. 🛶 "𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓸𝓹𝓮 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓼 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮: 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓪𝓲𝓻 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓫𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓼𝓽 𝓯𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓷. 𝓘𝓽 𝓱𝓾𝓻𝓽𝓼." 🛶 Throughout the book, I came across situations that Naomi has made and she is simply amazing . To see her develop and grow to face all kinds of people who see her only as 'widow of...' and not as Naomi. It hurt me. And I've always felt as part of a side character who just wants to talk to Naomi and say “you're strong”. When her family decides to start moving elsewhere in the direction of California, she finds herself in a journey of life and death. Joy and sadness. Disasters and quarrels But, she never expected that on this journey she would fall in love again. John is a man who has always lived in both worlds.He was always in the middle of those worlds. He is half white on his father's side and half Indian on his mother's side. 🍂 “𝓘𝓽 𝓲𝓼. 𝓘𝓽 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓯 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮. 𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓼 𝓲𝓽. 𝓘𝓽 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓯 𝓫𝓮𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓾𝓷𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓮𝓵𝓭 𝓸𝓻 𝓼𝓪𝓿𝓮. 𝓘𝓽'𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓲𝓯 𝓲𝓽 𝓱𝓾𝓻𝓽𝓼. " 🍂 John's character has been through a lot. Try to imagine what it is like to have two worlds and live in them simultaneously. He has undergone a process of change, of acceptance. And the feeling of what it's like to be in love. Because he never knew 'true love' for a woman before . ❤ As he joins the journey to California, he meets Naomi with her red hair and bright green eyes. And he slowly begins to discover things about himself. Their journey taught them how to get to know each other together, And the two want to build a life together for themselves. But, when they get attacked in the middle of the journey. The families get separated, And Naomi sees John disappearing in front of her eyes the promise that they promised themselves was going to fade away. They will not be able to be together again. They could not live the life they wanted. 💚 “𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼,” 𝓦𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓶𝓾𝓼𝓮𝓼. “𝓘𝓯 𝓷𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓷𝓸 𝓹𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓽. 𝓘𝓯 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼, 𝓷𝓸 𝓹𝓾𝓻𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓮. 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓭 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓶 𝓰𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝔀𝓸 𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓫𝓮𝓲𝓷𝓰. ” 💚 These two taught me some things. How to internalize one another, what it is like to know each other, and how to reconcile with who you are. Because that's who you are. In conclusion , the story was unusual . John and Naomi captivated my heart so much that I just found myself at the end of the book reading once more from the start to enjoy it again. I kept sections for myself to remember them forever. Knowing that Amy’s book is over, for me, is one of the most painful things. Her writing is unlike any other writer. She manages to convey to me something that no other writer can do. The story is combined with suspense and romance, And one journey. About self-learning and about ourselves, all diffrenet kind of pain and giving, and sometimes the pain is the one being buried with us. A magical book, with a romanctic story that just made my heart beat every single line. ❤

Loved this book, pretty sure first book from Amy Harmon! Such a good story, characters, detail(but NOT the kind that take up half a page), just perfect:)) A little bit of romance(just enough for me, not a Harlequin reader 😒and a little racy for this time BUT surely they had fun when it was right person like us🫠), loss, victories, hard times. I'm not one that is 100% sure on reincarnation but IF, if I ever lived in a time period prior, was 1800s! I love the simplicity but sophistication (for then) and the fact that we lived to live and appreciated much more! Yes, we do now also but it was different! I was hooked from beginning of book and couldn't wait to pick back up! Enjoy:)) Will be looking at more from Amy!

Without writing a book itself in review...The book is a developing love story on a wagon train to California with many trials and hardships. Enjoyed the writing style and main characters. It was of better quality than many books I'm seeing out there/have read. Story line was very good. I think most people would enjoy it.

It starts out with a shock that you don’t expect, then it moved on to the ‘how’ it all happened. I wanted the story to keep going and it grasped my heart quite a few times. The bravery, suffering and hard life the people of the trains went through are real accounts in some form or another I have no doubt. The story of the Native Americans is also truly told well, and raw and harsh at times. Survival. The story grabbed me unawares and I couldn’t put it down. Amy Harmon is a very fine storyteller and I expect the next stories I read of hers will be just as wonderful as the ones I’ve read on the past. Well Done!

I don’t know where to begin to express how much I enjoyed this book! Every character was an essential part of the story. Each one was so well written, that you will remember them long after you’ve completed the story. The love story between John and Naomi was from the very beginning, captivating. To watch it grow as the story progresses was almost intrusive, as you felt like you were that fly on the wall. However, theirs was not the only love story. There is the story between Naomi’s parents. It was not as demonstrative as that of John and Naomi, but it was ever present. The same with John and the May boys, or Naomi with the various women of the Indian tribes. His love for those boys was undeniable! Other characters also had their love stories. This story also had many instances of complete heartbreak, where, again, I felt the pain along with character. Tissue is a must have when reading this book. I cannot properly express my thoughts about this book, but one lesson I came away with is that love can be expressed in so many ways and for so many different individuals. We may think we know someone, but it’s not until you’ve experienced their lives, or made a sacrifice in behalf of a stranger, that you find out what true love and compassion look like. I absolutely recommend this novel to anyone interested in a good read. Well done, Amy Harmon, well done!

Loved this book! Such a great story. In today’s digital world where we are easily connected with our friends and family, it was great to follow along with these characters and how different their world was in the 1850s…. The good and the bad! And, I loved how the story wrapped up in the end.

Amy Harmon is more than a great writer, she’s an educator too. I always leave her book with more knowledge about a historical event or some really interesting fact that I never knew. This book reminded me a little of the Grapes of Wrath but with a much happier ending. I loved both Naomi and Lucas as both characters didn’t fit the societal mold for that time period. It made them sort of misfits in their community. When their families set out from Missouri to go out West, their inner mettle was sorely tested. Despite all the trials and tragedy, Naomi and Lucas never lost their inner goodness and selflessness. They remained loyal and steadfast to each other and their loved ones. Naomi was such a strong woman and I feel like her art gave her empathy and insight into others. Lucas was a hardworking and patient man, after all, being of two races made him learn how to endure. They were perfect for each other to navigate the Oregon Trail together as they helped heal each other. I learned about mules as well as the perils of crossing rivers and dealing with tribes during that period. The author definitely touched on those issues with grace and dignity. It was cool to see how much research and family history she wove into this tale. The only draw back for me was that this story was slow. It was steady but it didn’t really snag my full attention until the middle. It felt more like a story about survival than a romance, but I guess the love story was even better in that it survived and stayed strong in spite of all the obstacles. I’m not sure I will read this story again and I normally re-read Amy Harmon stories. I do think it was a really good story.

Evocative. Fascinating. Literary Novel. Historical account of America’s push westward. I love reading. Especially novels that teach me about people, their motives, what drives them. And how they endure. This is one I will read again. And get more out of it after each reading.

Amy Harmon es una escritora fabulosa, los personajes son cercanos, los haces tuyos enseguida; su narrativa es impecable, sus descripciones, el desarrollo de la trama; te atrapa y es literatura de calidad al mismo tiempo, lo cual es muy de agradecer. Muy recomendable. Para los estudiantes de inglés está muy bien para un B2.

I was recommended this book by a bookstagrammer and am so glad I picked it up. Fact and fiction is woven together in this tale of hardships suffered by pioneers and how they traversed the country on the Oregon trail from Missouri to California or Oregon or Utah in their wagons, battling hunger, illness and danger from an attack by hostile Indians.

For anyone who wants to be absorbed into a story, a world, a different time, this one is for you. One of the best books I've ever read. Just beautiful!!

Mein absolutes Lieblingsbuch von Amy Harmon - empfehle ich jedem sofort weiter!

Everytime I open an Amy Harmon book, I am anticipating experiencing one of the best books of the year. Every book she has ever written has never failed to disappoint, and each becomes a new favorite. I knew Where the Lost Wander was going to be an epic read, but what I hadn't prepared for was how captivating it was going to be, how it held you in it's grasp with every written word. Taking note of very little touch, glance, word, hug, whisper, and gesture between the characters, and gobbling them up like it was going to be your last. I wasn't expecting to feel breathless, desperate to know what was going to happen to Naomi and John, but also feeling so aganozied and not wanting to continue for a little while, to live with the May family and little longer. In the very first chapter of the book, we are introduced to the May family. William, Winifred, Will, Warren, Webb, Naomi and little precious Wolfe. It is 1853 and they are searching for a better life, using stagecoaches to cross the overland trail to cross thousands of miles to get to california. Tradgedy strikes the entire, family and Naomi is separated from John. From that point on, the majority of the book takes you back, to the start of their journey, where Naomi meets john, a half white, half Pawnee native who is also known as "Two Feet". You fall in love with Webb, the little shoeless warrior. Winifred is the most endearing woman, and William May, whose love for his family shines throughout the book. Knowing what was going to befall the family was so hard. The more I fell in love with them, the more I didn't want to continue. I wanted the family to strive through the hardships of the trail and come out whole at the end. It was hard. My heart hurt. My stomach felt knotted and my heart oh so heavy. But Amy Harmon creates such a vivid, beautiful experience. It was like you were living the book, experiencing the trail for yourself, experiencing the fear, and the courage it took to cross that trail for months on end. And while there is romance, this story is SO MUCH MORE. It is about hardships and hope, life and death, perseverance and survival. The love of a family. And it's also about heritage, where you come from, where your home is but also feeling like your in two places at once and don't belong anywhwere. And then finding your place in the love of another. This is historical fiction unlike anything I have ever read. I am so in love with this book, with these characters and the stories they had to tell. I loved how I felt like I was learning a part of our history I really never knew before. And I especially love that Amy Harmon didn't hold back. She gives it to you, all of it. Life isn't pretty, and it most definitly wasn't back then. But you learn, you grow, you survive. This story was hard, but it was beautiful. I can't say enough of this book. It was everything I hoped for and never knew I needed. Amy Harmon has outdone herself!