Review: Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon
“‘Maybe we are all stretched across the banks,’ he says, thoughtful. ‘Living in the land of yesterday and the land of tomorrow.’”
The Basics
Title:Where the Lost Wander
Author: Amy Harmon
Published: 2020
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Genres: Fiction — Historical fiction, Western, Romance, Historical romance, Western romance
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org, and I will earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you click through and make a purchase.
Book Synopsis
Heading West was never Naomi’s dream; it was her husband’s. When he dies unexpectedly and leaves her a widow at age 20, however, she decides to follow through with their plan and sets off on the Oregon Trail with her family. At the onset of the trail, she meets and is instantly drawn to John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man, but not everyone in their traveling group accepts their interracial relationship. In addition to these prejudices, Naomi and John must contend with the hardships of everyday life on the trail, and when tragedy befalls them and results in their separation, they must fight their way back to one another.
My Review & Overall Thoughts
TLDR: A beautifully written historical novel.
Where the Lost Wander is a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that breathes life into the past without romanticizing it. The hardships and prejudices of the day are front and center, as are the hardiness and resilience of the characters. It is a story that will remain with you well after you turn the final page.
Set in the mid-19th century, Where the Lost Wander transports you back in time to the height of the westward migration in the United States. With well-crafted and sensory descriptions, Harmon brings both the time period and location to life. The daily struggles of life in a wagon train are highlighted, as are the broader societal and cultural conflicts of the day. In particular, the story explores the impact of westward migration on Native American tribes. We see how the movement West promises new beginnings for Whites but an ending to the way of life for Native Americans. It was refreshing to see this exploration of the Indigenous experience, as too often, westerns either sideline or omit it.
Complementing the story is a pair of well-penned and compelling protagonists, Naomi and John. Naomi is a woman ahead of her time. She is strong-willed, forthright, and intelligent. When it comes to her relationship with John, she pays gender norms no mind and unabashedly pursues him. John is an equally interesting and complex character. With a White father and Pawnee mother, he has a foot in both worlds but never feels fully accepted by either.
As a couple, John and Naomi strengthen and support one another. They are each other’s anchor. It was touching to see the evolution of their relationship from flirtation to the deep commitment that it is by the end of the book. They also have wonderful chemistry, which further endears them as a couple.
Bringing everything together is the book’s writing and structure. Where the Lost Wander is beautifully written and well-paced. Its use of a first-person narrative with dual points of view, John and Naomi, creates an immersive reading experience, in which we get to know both of the primary characters equally well. It is also structured in such a way that your attention is retained throughout the book. Namely, the story opens with a tragedy, where the fate of the characters is left unclear, so you are motivated to keep reading in order to see not only what happens to the characters but also what events led up to the tragedy.
The not so good
Nothing comes to mind.
Overall
Where the Lost Wander is one of my favorite reads of the year thus far. If you enjoy historical fiction, you should add this to your reading list.
Have you read Where the Lost Wander? If so, let me know what you thought of the book in the comments section below!
