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Journeying Home
“Readers will be enthralled.... Touching tribute to resilience and tenacity, spanning generations of women.” —BookLife / Publishers Weekly
“An effortless read... an absorbing family drama…” —IndieReader Review
“Readers of Kristin Hannah will feel at home… a book to savor and cherish!” — NetGalley Review
Can missed connections and tragic loss in one generation be redeemed in the next? Can an ordinary house hold the key to that redemption?
Journeying Home is a sweeping, dual-timeline love story that begins in the early 1900s and unfolds across generations. It follows two strong women, Lizzy and Gwen, whose lives are separated by time, yet deeply intertwined.
In rural Virginia, Lizzy is determined to escape poverty and abuse. Resourceful and resilient, she becomes a nurse and travels to a field hospital in France during World War I. Though fiercely independent, Lizzy is also a romantic at heart. When she meets a charismatic American soldier, their relationship challenges everything she believes about love, duty, and the life she has worked so hard to create for herself.
In the present day, Gwen is navigating a difficult divorce and searching for a way forward. Drawn by a keepsake box left to her by her great-aunt Lizzy, she travels to Richmond, where she discovers Lizzy’s old rowhouse and begins to uncover long buried family secrets. As Gwen pieces together Lizzy’s past, she finds herself rebuilding her own life in unexpected ways.
Spanning continents and generations, Journeying Home explores love, loss, resilience, and the enduring power of connection—revealing how the past shapes the present and how healing can echo across time.
“An effortless read... an absorbing family drama…” —IndieReader Review
“Readers of Kristin Hannah will feel at home… a book to savor and cherish!” — NetGalley Review
Can missed connections and tragic loss in one generation be redeemed in the next? Can an ordinary house hold the key to that redemption?
Journeying Home is a sweeping, dual-timeline love story that begins in the early 1900s and unfolds across generations. It follows two strong women, Lizzy and Gwen, whose lives are separated by time, yet deeply intertwined.
In rural Virginia, Lizzy is determined to escape poverty and abuse. Resourceful and resilient, she becomes a nurse and travels to a field hospital in France during World War I. Though fiercely independent, Lizzy is also a romantic at heart. When she meets a charismatic American soldier, their relationship challenges everything she believes about love, duty, and the life she has worked so hard to create for herself.
In the present day, Gwen is navigating a difficult divorce and searching for a way forward. Drawn by a keepsake box left to her by her great-aunt Lizzy, she travels to Richmond, where she discovers Lizzy’s old rowhouse and begins to uncover long buried family secrets. As Gwen pieces together Lizzy’s past, she finds herself rebuilding her own life in unexpected ways.
Spanning continents and generations, Journeying Home explores love, loss, resilience, and the enduring power of connection—revealing how the past shapes the present and how healing can echo across time.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
329 pages, ebook
Published December 10, 2024
About the author
Emily Saxe Nydam
1 book4 followersEmily Nydam is a musician and author whose career began as a lawyer. She graduated from Yale University, where she was awarded the Yale Schoenberg Prize for writing and went on to earn her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, serving as Managing Editor of The Georgetown Law Journal.
An accomplished singer, Emily has released solo albums and performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Sydney Opera House. She and her husband have lived across the United States and abroad, including in Thailand, where their twin sons were born. Journeying Home is her debut multi-generational historical novel set against the backdrop of World War I.
An accomplished singer, Emily has released solo albums and performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Sydney Opera House. She and her husband have lived across the United States and abroad, including in Thailand, where their twin sons were born. Journeying Home is her debut multi-generational historical novel set against the backdrop of World War I.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 21, 2026
Rating: 4.3
A journey through time, female leads tying up the loose threads and 'journeying' home. Home is an invisible bond that we can never truly escape, is what one fo the main themes the story plays around.
To begin with, I enjoyed the pacing. The transitions between the different timelines was done well and I felt no problem getting immersed (although I do get immersed very easily so..)
The characters were quite likable, although anyone other than the characters other than the fl in the modern timeline seemed very underdeveloped. I just couldn't feel myself geting interested in them as more than 2d characters, just not very extraordinary or even worth remembering.
One reason I love this book is the heartbreaking revelations. Love doesn't always work out. I love sad stories, i am a sucker for angst, if you will. This book definitely made cry a few tears, curled up in my bed with a blanket as I cussed out Lt.Flynn.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hildebrand books and Emily Saxe Nydam for giving me the oportunity to receive a free copy of this book!💙
A journey through time, female leads tying up the loose threads and 'journeying' home. Home is an invisible bond that we can never truly escape, is what one fo the main themes the story plays around.
To begin with, I enjoyed the pacing. The transitions between the different timelines was done well and I felt no problem getting immersed (although I do get immersed very easily so..)
The characters were quite likable, although anyone other than the characters other than the fl in the modern timeline seemed very underdeveloped. I just couldn't feel myself geting interested in them as more than 2d characters, just not very extraordinary or even worth remembering.
One reason I love this book is the heartbreaking revelations. Love doesn't always work out. I love sad stories, i am a sucker for angst, if you will. This book definitely made cry a few tears, curled up in my bed with a blanket as I cussed out Lt.Flynn.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hildebrand books and Emily Saxe Nydam for giving me the oportunity to receive a free copy of this book!💙
January 17, 2025
What a great book to kick off 2025! I absolutely loved this captivating story. The writing style had me eager to find out what happened next and I did not want to put it down. I finished the book on my way to visit my grandma and I can't wait to ask her dozens of questions about our own family history.
January 3, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
TW
Sexual abuse/incest
Miscarriage
Death of a child (on page)
Before we begin this review, I would like to say that I personally believe this is more a historical fiction novel than it is a romance. YMMV
Gwen is going through a divorce and in the process of selling her house. While packing up, she discovers a box of momentos left behind from Aunt Elizabeth. As she begins to uncover secrets of her family’s past, she starts to wonder more about her remarkable aunt.
This is a beautiful story. Lizzie has a lot of tragedy in her life. Her resilience in spite of the adversity she faces is admirable. As a young girl living in rural Virginia, she becomes the apprentice of a midwife and discovers her passion for nursing. Recommended by her mentor, she enrolls in a nursing program in DC and leaves her life on the farm behind. Finally feeling free for the first time, she thrives at the school. When the US is called to war, Lizzie enlists and is shipped off to France. It’s there that she falls in love with a young solider. But due to circumstances, they cannot be together.
I really felt for Lizzie. She gets put through the wringer and while she finds her purpose in her work, there’s a hole in her heart that can never be filled. Her story was heartbreaking yet she had immense courage in continuing on despite the heartache she faces. She does her best to navigate through the wreckage and in doing so leaves behind an incredible legacy.
I wasn’t quite as enthralled in Gwen’s timeline as I was with Lizzie’s. Gwen lacked the character development that I feel Lizzie has. Her search for Lizzie’s past is fun, but overall I didn’t find her story as compelling.
This was a beautifully written book, and I would recommend it as a historical fiction novel.
TW
Sexual abuse/incest
Miscarriage
Death of a child (on page)
Before we begin this review, I would like to say that I personally believe this is more a historical fiction novel than it is a romance. YMMV
Gwen is going through a divorce and in the process of selling her house. While packing up, she discovers a box of momentos left behind from Aunt Elizabeth. As she begins to uncover secrets of her family’s past, she starts to wonder more about her remarkable aunt.
This is a beautiful story. Lizzie has a lot of tragedy in her life. Her resilience in spite of the adversity she faces is admirable. As a young girl living in rural Virginia, she becomes the apprentice of a midwife and discovers her passion for nursing. Recommended by her mentor, she enrolls in a nursing program in DC and leaves her life on the farm behind. Finally feeling free for the first time, she thrives at the school. When the US is called to war, Lizzie enlists and is shipped off to France. It’s there that she falls in love with a young solider. But due to circumstances, they cannot be together.
I really felt for Lizzie. She gets put through the wringer and while she finds her purpose in her work, there’s a hole in her heart that can never be filled. Her story was heartbreaking yet she had immense courage in continuing on despite the heartache she faces. She does her best to navigate through the wreckage and in doing so leaves behind an incredible legacy.
I wasn’t quite as enthralled in Gwen’s timeline as I was with Lizzie’s. Gwen lacked the character development that I feel Lizzie has. Her search for Lizzie’s past is fun, but overall I didn’t find her story as compelling.
This was a beautifully written book, and I would recommend it as a historical fiction novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2025
Journeying Home is a heartwarming, compelling story that had me wondering about all the potential mysteries in my own family history. I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing - it felt casual and approachable, yet refined and sophisticated at the same time. I found myself lingering on the last few chapters, torn between wanting to know how it all ends and not wanting it to end at all!
March 26, 2025
Rating 3.5 stars
Review -
Journeying Home by Emily Saxe Nydam begins with a lovely epigraph on houses - how houses have a character, what they mean and how we speak of them as though they are a difficult child to manage. And this book, the story of women who unlock mysteries and hidden truths about themselves and others is a beautiful ode to houses - the place these concrete and plastered, nicely painted, inanimate structures hold in our lives.
When recently divorced Gwen is vacating her house in Massachusetts with the help of her grown up son Rob, she finds a lot of stuff in their attic related to her grand aunt Lizzy who studied in Mason Hall Nursing school in Washington DC and served in the WW1 in France. Gwen doesn’t know much about Lizzy for she has only met her once as a child at her home in Richmond, Virginia. When she spots Lizzy's journals sharing her life episodes, poems and a certificate of appreciation for her services to improving health from the then American president Nixon, Gwen is intrigued to know more of her grandaunt, a gifted writer & diligent nurse. Then arrives an invite for a function honouring the exceptional alumnae of Mason Hall Nursing School; Lizzy is one of them and Gwen is invited to attend the function as the last living member of Lizzy's family. Gwen undertakes the trip to the event as a way to feel free from her messy personal life - sale of her house, completing divorce proceedings etc and most importantly, to learn more about this ambitious grand aunt of hers. The journey unravels many family secrets giving Gwen herself a sense of purpose.
Journeying Home is a novel where everything comes together well in the end. There are no loose threads hanging, even the simplest question 'Why isn't Rob’s girlfriend, Lucy having wine?is answered. The author as she pieces together different parts of Lizzy’s life spoon feeds us readers.
There is a beautiful line on how journeying is the same as journaling. There couldn't have been a better title for the book. The prologue makes better sense at the book's end. The language is simple and lucid, and pages fly by. That said, the book definitely could have been 70-80 pages shorter.
Though the book alternates between POVs of Lizzy (twentieth century), the grandaunt and Gwen - two timelines/generations, Journeying Home is largely Lizzy’s story and Gwen is only an instrument in storytelling. Standalone, Gwen is a pretty weak, underdeveloped character who has had her divorce, clings a little emotionally to her adult son who is busy with his own life. It also seems like Gwen is in a rush to fall in love (because her son, even her ex husband have a solid lovelife).
War, romance, heartbreak, letting go of one's toxic past to look ahead, sculpting future with one's own hard work and mettle, women supporting women, beautiful bond between siblings, all the bright aspects of the novel lie in the past in Lizzy's narrative. She and her sisters are strong characters in the novel.
A good book which could have left a better impression had it been much shorter. Thank you so much Netgalley and Hildebrand Books for the copy of the book.
Review -
Journeying Home by Emily Saxe Nydam begins with a lovely epigraph on houses - how houses have a character, what they mean and how we speak of them as though they are a difficult child to manage. And this book, the story of women who unlock mysteries and hidden truths about themselves and others is a beautiful ode to houses - the place these concrete and plastered, nicely painted, inanimate structures hold in our lives.
When recently divorced Gwen is vacating her house in Massachusetts with the help of her grown up son Rob, she finds a lot of stuff in their attic related to her grand aunt Lizzy who studied in Mason Hall Nursing school in Washington DC and served in the WW1 in France. Gwen doesn’t know much about Lizzy for she has only met her once as a child at her home in Richmond, Virginia. When she spots Lizzy's journals sharing her life episodes, poems and a certificate of appreciation for her services to improving health from the then American president Nixon, Gwen is intrigued to know more of her grandaunt, a gifted writer & diligent nurse. Then arrives an invite for a function honouring the exceptional alumnae of Mason Hall Nursing School; Lizzy is one of them and Gwen is invited to attend the function as the last living member of Lizzy's family. Gwen undertakes the trip to the event as a way to feel free from her messy personal life - sale of her house, completing divorce proceedings etc and most importantly, to learn more about this ambitious grand aunt of hers. The journey unravels many family secrets giving Gwen herself a sense of purpose.
Journeying Home is a novel where everything comes together well in the end. There are no loose threads hanging, even the simplest question 'Why isn't Rob’s girlfriend, Lucy having wine?is answered. The author as she pieces together different parts of Lizzy’s life spoon feeds us readers.
There is a beautiful line on how journeying is the same as journaling. There couldn't have been a better title for the book. The prologue makes better sense at the book's end. The language is simple and lucid, and pages fly by. That said, the book definitely could have been 70-80 pages shorter.
Though the book alternates between POVs of Lizzy (twentieth century), the grandaunt and Gwen - two timelines/generations, Journeying Home is largely Lizzy’s story and Gwen is only an instrument in storytelling. Standalone, Gwen is a pretty weak, underdeveloped character who has had her divorce, clings a little emotionally to her adult son who is busy with his own life. It also seems like Gwen is in a rush to fall in love (because her son, even her ex husband have a solid lovelife).
War, romance, heartbreak, letting go of one's toxic past to look ahead, sculpting future with one's own hard work and mettle, women supporting women, beautiful bond between siblings, all the bright aspects of the novel lie in the past in Lizzy's narrative. She and her sisters are strong characters in the novel.
A good book which could have left a better impression had it been much shorter. Thank you so much Netgalley and Hildebrand Books for the copy of the book.
July 4, 2025
In this unique and complex historical fiction novel, readers follow two women whose lives collide across generations. Starting before World War I and continuing into the present day, the book tracks the lives of Lizzy, Owen, and Gwen as they deal with growing up and all the challenges of their lives in twentieth-century America. The alternating perspectives really allow the different characters and timelines to develop, while the historical details and settings are successfully interwoven into the stories. The historical details are well-researched and add interesting nuances and elements to these stories, while the characters are unique and well-developed. This story is well-written and straightforward, as the clearly outlined perspective shifts, unique storylines, and time stamps help readers keep Lizzy, Owen, and Gwen apart. Engaging, interesting, and easy to read, this is a great book for fans of multiple timelines and multiple narrators in their historical fiction books, and Nydam has done a good job dealing with all these shifts in narrator and setting. While there is a lot going on, the connecting threads among these characters and time periods really pull the story together and create a fascinating, fun and immersive reading experience that historical fiction fans will love.
Thanks to NetGalley, Hildebrand Books, an imprint of W. Brand Publishing, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and Members' Titles for the advance copy.
Thanks to NetGalley, Hildebrand Books, an imprint of W. Brand Publishing, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and Members' Titles for the advance copy.
April 28, 2025
Gwen is a woman that needs a purpose. Recently divorced, with a grown-up son that doesn't need her anymore and a house that she needs to sell out soon, she seeks something to occupy her mind.
And she finds it in her attic, where several memorabilia of her family is there. She knows she has a great-great aunt with an interesting past, and when she receives an invitation from a nurse school to participate in a commemoration of their famous alumni, she goes on a search that reveals that Elizabeth Porter was in fact, much more than met the eye.
Told in a dual POV (Elizabeth's POV starting from the beginning of the 20th century, and Gwen’s in the present day, this book narrates a story of unfortunate love and loss in the background of the WWI war, where Porter served as a nurse. It's an interesting setting, as Gwen's POV helps piece together the puzzle of Elizabeth’s life in a way that is most pleasant to read, and the prose is also easy-flowing. I would have liked more development on Gwen’s story, but apart from that, I found the story to be perfect.
Thank you to Netgalley and Emily Saxe Nydam for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I absolutely enjoyed that read, all in all.
And she finds it in her attic, where several memorabilia of her family is there. She knows she has a great-great aunt with an interesting past, and when she receives an invitation from a nurse school to participate in a commemoration of their famous alumni, she goes on a search that reveals that Elizabeth Porter was in fact, much more than met the eye.
Told in a dual POV (Elizabeth's POV starting from the beginning of the 20th century, and Gwen’s in the present day, this book narrates a story of unfortunate love and loss in the background of the WWI war, where Porter served as a nurse. It's an interesting setting, as Gwen's POV helps piece together the puzzle of Elizabeth’s life in a way that is most pleasant to read, and the prose is also easy-flowing. I would have liked more development on Gwen’s story, but apart from that, I found the story to be perfect.
Thank you to Netgalley and Emily Saxe Nydam for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I absolutely enjoyed that read, all in all.
January 9, 2025
Journeying Home is a captivating work of historical fiction, a dual-timeline novel of female independence, heritage, and the secrets families keep.
At the heart of this story is Lizzie, a nurse from a poor family in rural Virginia who joins the war effort in WWI France. Lizzie's adventures and struggles—from her traumatic upbringing to the battlefields of the Western Front to an ill-fated romance—are absorbing and beautifully rendered. Journeying Home is a love story, but one with real emotion and consequences. The novel is attuned to Lizzie's growth, courage, and resilience.
Journeying Home also follows Gwen, Lizze's descendant and the book's modern-day character, as she puts together the missing pieces of her great aunt's past, and builds a life of independence and fulfillment of her own after her divorce.
Readers of Kristen Hannah will feel at home with this novel, but the immersive historical setting, the quality of the writing, and the story's emotional sweep reminded me more of Amor Towles, Elizabeth Strout and Anthony Doerr. Journeying Home is a book to savor and cherish!
At the heart of this story is Lizzie, a nurse from a poor family in rural Virginia who joins the war effort in WWI France. Lizzie's adventures and struggles—from her traumatic upbringing to the battlefields of the Western Front to an ill-fated romance—are absorbing and beautifully rendered. Journeying Home is a love story, but one with real emotion and consequences. The novel is attuned to Lizzie's growth, courage, and resilience.
Journeying Home also follows Gwen, Lizze's descendant and the book's modern-day character, as she puts together the missing pieces of her great aunt's past, and builds a life of independence and fulfillment of her own after her divorce.
Readers of Kristen Hannah will feel at home with this novel, but the immersive historical setting, the quality of the writing, and the story's emotional sweep reminded me more of Amor Towles, Elizabeth Strout and Anthony Doerr. Journeying Home is a book to savor and cherish!
January 4, 2025
I'm biased (my mom wrote this book!!) but I loved Journeying Home!
This is a great dual-timeline historical novel about Lizzie, a nurse in World War I, and Gwen, a woman in modern days trying to unravel secrets of her relative's past after finding her letters in her attic.
I won't spoil anything, but novel has everything: star-crossed romance, World War I adventure, beautiful writing, engaging characters, twists and turns!
This is a great dual-timeline historical novel about Lizzie, a nurse in World War I, and Gwen, a woman in modern days trying to unravel secrets of her relative's past after finding her letters in her attic.
I won't spoil anything, but novel has everything: star-crossed romance, World War I adventure, beautiful writing, engaging characters, twists and turns!
January 3, 2025
While packing to move, the FMC discovers a box of items left behind by her aunt, leading her to discover secrets from her family’s past.
Dual timeline, full of adversity and courage, purpose and heartbreak.
A well written, compelling historical fiction novel.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest review.
Dual timeline, full of adversity and courage, purpose and heartbreak.
A well written, compelling historical fiction novel.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest review.
June 11, 2025
As I read Journeying Home, it morphed into a movie.! I timed traveled. Seeing the characters and where they interacted. Feeling their emotions. I've read it twice! The story's resolution left me deeply appreciative and thankful for its important lesson of living life with purpose and love. Carol Remz
April 24, 2025
A very entertaining dual-time-period novel, which happens to be written by one of my oldest friends.
June 6, 2026
Disappointing. Writing is Meh. Story was interesting but could have been done in a shorter amount of time .
January 6, 2025
I loved this book! I was so invested in the characters that I could not put the book down. Journeying Home is the kind of book where you will be sad when it’s over. I can’t wait for Emily Nydam’s next novel!
January 22, 2025
What a great read! A lovely story - the two timelines that weave together perfectly. I couldn't put it down and ended up finishing it in about 3 days (which is quick for me)! I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for their next read!
June 2, 2025
Nice story joining past of nurse Lizzie in ww1 to great niece Gwen in present. Alt chapters of each with secrets of Lizzie’s past in some poetry. Lizzie born poor and sexually abused by father stapes to become nurse in ww1 in France. Brief affair ending in pregnancy with (unknown to her) nursing roommates boyfriend. Keeps preg secret and baby dies scarlet fever- family never knows of her until Gwen goes thru la belongings of Lizzie along with all her awards as famous nurse. Secrets connect her and Gwen’s new boyfriend jack. Facetimed with author/friend of val
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews