Finding Home: From Cairo to New York: A Memoir

by Djenane Nakhle

One woman’s unique, life-changing journey across four continents

We each have a path to follow at our own pace and time.
I hope reading about my journey inspires you with your own.
Djenane Nakhle, PhD


Growing up in a traditional patriarchal society, developing into a teenager searching for identity and emigrating from politically autocratic Egypt, Djenane Nakhle delves into her struggles stepping into adulthood in her memoir, Finding From Cairo to New York.

Throughout her journey, Djenane tackles chaos with grit. She holds an “I can do it” mindset to face the challenges of a tumultuous marriage, motherhood, love affairs, and divorce. She charts her path forward with fierce determination, always keeping her chin up.

This powerful and deeply personal memoir is a compelling story of self-realization, overcoming obstacles and rising beyond them. Djenane’s story is a gripping tale that will resonate with many women, a tale that is familiar to so many of us who have also fought to find our own identity and have our voices heard.

Finding Home reveals the passion, the loss, the joy, the pain, and most of all, the invigorating drive and resilience that lead Djenane to pursue her inner purpose and higher education, regardless of circumstances, and achieve what she set out to accomplish.

352 pages, Paperback

Published December 5, 2024

About the author

Djenane Nakhle, PhD, is a Lebanese-American psychologist licensed in New York and Connecticut, co-host of the Empowered Women Book Club, and the author of Finding Home: From Cairo to New York. Her life journey spans four continents. Fluent in four languages, she brings multicultural insight, clinical depth, and emotional attunement to both her writing and her professional work.

A Valedictorian of NYU’s School of Education, federally funded researcher and grant recipient, and former Director of Therapeutics at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, Dr. Nakhle also served as an NYU Adjunct Assistant Professor of Applied Psychology, teaching trauma-focused graduate seminars. With nearly thirty years of clinical experience, her work centers on resilience, identity, and helping individuals—especially women—claim their voice with clarity and strength.

An award-winning author, Dr. Nakhle traces in Finding Home: From Cairo to New York an immigrant woman’s coming of age in a Catholic, patriarchal society as she moves across cultures through marriage, motherhood, love, and divorce—guided by determination and self-reclamation, and sustained by an enduring “I can do it” spirit. At the memoir’s core is a steadfast belief in women’s agency: the right to define themselves, speak truthfully, and be heard.

Finding Home has earned multiple honors, including #1 New Release in Amazon’s Emigration & Immigration category and #1 in Mid-Atlantic Memoirs. It is a Spring and Fall PenCraft Book Award winner, received a 5-Star Readers’ Favorite rating, and was named a 2026 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite (Memoir).

Editorial reviews praise the memoir as “a modern odyssey” shaped by courage and empathy and “eloquent and rich with historical detail.” Readers describe it as “impossible to put down” and “a truly inspiring read.”

Finding Home will resonate with anyone who has searched for belonging across borders, endured hardship with courage, sought meaning amid uncertainty, or reinvented themselves in a new life—and with readers who enjoyed Educated and The Glass Castle.

“We each have a path to follow at our own pace and time. I hope reading about my journey inspires you with your own.”
—Djenane Nakhle, PhD

Reviews

[Ellen Symons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Djenane Nakhle's determination as revealed in this memoir is astounding. Finding Home shows us that she learned, over many difficult years, "to believe in myself and trust myself to make it on my own." We see Djenane transform from a very young woman and wife whose eyes are suddenly opened, to an adult woman who ultimately, despite setbacks and hardships, makes increasingly courageous choices and achieves every single thing she set out to accomplish. The costs were often high, but by the end of the memoir, I believed the gains for Dr. Nakhle were higher. Hers is a unique, yet familiar, story for women and for immigrants. My own mother lived a version of it, moving from another country and getting a doctorate with young children at her feet. I've witnessed some of what it takes to build this independent, self-reliant life while raising children and pursuing advanced degrees; Dr. Nakhle's resolve and her accomplishments are enormous, and this memoir is a fascinating look at her journey.

[Maria Daversa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to read and edit Dr. Nakhle’s memoir prior to publishing, and I found it gripping. The journey from her birth home in Egypt to her chosen home in Manhattan, takes the reader on a cascade of experiences which put her grit, spirit, and determination on full display. Djenane survives political turmoil, overcomes patriarchal barriers, and defies cultural norms all in the pursuit of her lifelong dreams of becoming a mother, acquiring a doctoral degree in psychology, and finding peace. If you enjoy stories about women who beat the odds, you will definitely enjoy Djenane’s account of how she came of age, learned to appreciate her life’s trajectory, and rediscovered herself in all the best ways possible.

[Joelle Tamraz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a captivating story about the interplay of political and personal turmoil and a woman’s struggle for self-determination in a patriarchal environment. A great gift for women and anyone who has struggled to forge a path and identity amid external pressures. Highly recommend!

[Katya Dunko · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! This memoir truly spoke to my soul. That yearning for home -for a place to belong and make it in this vast world- reflects a quiet strength so many immigrant women carry yet are rarely acknowledged for. I can relate deeply. Djenane captured those trials and tribulations with such grace and introspection and the “I can do it” spirit shines as a guiding light through every page.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC copy prior to publishing.

Dr. Djenane writes a remarkable story about the journey of immigration, travel, and becoming independent. She marries off at a young age hoping to find more independence, but soon realizes that her husband isn’t the man he claims to be. She fights for a relationship and life she wants, but realizes that not everything that glitters is gold.

This book is perfect for someone who can relate to the story of immigration, emotionally abusive relationships, and a woman striving to have a life she loves.

[Michele LaNoue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating Debut Memoir of a Woman's Search for Independence


Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2024
Full disclosure: I read this book in its manuscript form just before publishing. Djenane and I met while taking classes in memoir writing before the pandemic and have stayed in touch. Her life starts in Egypt during one of its more turbulent times, which forces her family to move to Switzerland. Going against her parents' wishes, she decides to marry the wrong guy and then must find a way to be the mother and woman she wants to be. It is a fascinating story and a book that kept me up to the wee hours some nights following what happens next. Djenane is a great example of how we can succeed even after taking the wrong path.

[Kathryn Rouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing story of an Egyptian girl growing up, marrying the wrong guy, having to move to Switzerland due to political unrest, raising two girls and getting a doctorate degree. Written in journal style, but very interesting.

[Tam Lucken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr Nakhle’s story is a powerful and intimate memoir that is a palate of experiences that span cultures, languages, countries and personal identities. It resonates with anyone who has been an immigrant or has ever felt caught between worlds and cultural expectations.

The writing is direct and deeply personal with an authentic voice that draws you into Dr. Nakhle’s unique perspective and astonishing life journey.

A truly inspiring and compelling read, particularly enlightening and encouraging for women who have struggled to find their own path.

[Lucy Weldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story criss-crosses the world from Cairo, to Beirut, Lausanne, Paris and finally to New York. It takes Nakhle decades to find a place to call home after an interrupted childhood in Cairo. It also takes her decades to end her marriage despite the many red flags. She finally finishes her education and her professional achievements are great given what she has had to overcome. In the memoir early on is a Jesuit priest called Father Zundel who asks Nakhle a question when she's a young woman: 'Am I the mother my children would have chosen?' The question lingers with me.

[Gail Gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this memoir thoughtful and inspiring. As both the daughter and wife of an immigrant, the struggle to find belonging described in Finding Home was familiar to me, and will likely resonate with anyone who’s made the decision to leave home, whether for political or personal reasons, and start life over.

[Reel Kids · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Home is one of the most moving memoirs I’ve read. Dr. Djenane Nakhlé’s journey from Cairo to New York is deeply personal, reflective, and beautifully written. This book explores identity, culture, faith, and what it truly means to build a life between worlds. Thoughtful, honest, and unforgettable.

https://youtube.com/shorts/_lGIlR-Nxr...

[Terry Scelfo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Supporting an incredible author whose work always sparks great conversations!