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A review by grimalkintoes
Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
BOOK CLUB REVIEW đź«€
I’m not a historical fiction reader and yet here I am reviewing a historical fiction novel. Amy Harmon’s Where the Lost Wander is a harrowing peek into the trials of the Oregon Trail as the story follows the lives of Naomi May and John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man who guides the train of families through the expansive plains.
Through elements of romance, heartbreak, courage, and resiliency, Harmon offers glimpses of the human experience on the Trail. She doesn’t shy away from the grit, nor from the achingly painful glow of love among the perils.
“The pain. It’s worth it. The more you love, the more it hurts. But it’s worth it. It’s the only thing that is.”
Something that could have made this reading experience better would have been a companion critical review of Amy Harmon’s usage of out-dated terminology and iconography for Native Americans. Deemed “historically accurate,” this depiction of Native Americans is incredibly harmful and it didn’t add anything to the story to have them positioned as such a huge trial for the families to face. The Oregon Trail was devastating, yes, and the relationship between Native Americans and the migrating families were fraught with miscommunication and violence, yes, but the focus did not have to be so heavily on that. Though John Lowry, a real-life distant relative of Amy Harmon, was used to “ease” this view, I don’t think that it was done thoughtfully or with much care.
I’m also still not quite sure how I feel about Harmon giving away a huge plot point in the prologue. In my opinion, it made the grittiness of the book incredibly transparent but it was also a cheap hook for the racism against Native American “savagery” in the story.
I’m not a historical fiction reader and yet here I am reviewing a historical fiction novel. Amy Harmon’s Where the Lost Wander is a harrowing peek into the trials of the Oregon Trail as the story follows the lives of Naomi May and John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man who guides the train of families through the expansive plains.
Through elements of romance, heartbreak, courage, and resiliency, Harmon offers glimpses of the human experience on the Trail. She doesn’t shy away from the grit, nor from the achingly painful glow of love among the perils.
“The pain. It’s worth it. The more you love, the more it hurts. But it’s worth it. It’s the only thing that is.”
Something that could have made this reading experience better would have been a companion critical review of Amy Harmon’s usage of out-dated terminology and iconography for Native Americans. Deemed “historically accurate,” this depiction of Native Americans is incredibly harmful and it didn’t add anything to the story to have them positioned as such a huge trial for the families to face. The Oregon Trail was devastating, yes, and the relationship between Native Americans and the migrating families were fraught with miscommunication and violence, yes, but the focus did not have to be so heavily on that. Though John Lowry, a real-life distant relative of Amy Harmon, was used to “ease” this view, I don’t think that it was done thoughtfully or with much care.
I’m also still not quite sure how I feel about Harmon giving away a huge plot point in the prologue. In my opinion, it made the grittiness of the book incredibly transparent but it was also a cheap hook for the racism against Native American “savagery” in the story.