Emily Saxe Nydam does a fantastic job in writing this historical romance novel, it had that element that I was expecting from the description and enjoyed the overall feel of the time-period and characters. It had that feel that I was looking for and was glad everything worked together to tell the story.

During WWI through present day. The author is new to me, I will look for more of her books. The characters and the history were well written.

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!

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.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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.

A fantastic historical fiction. Loved every minute of it. Beautifully written and explored. Will definitely look for more books by Emily Saxe Nydam!

I love historical fiction it has always been one of my favourite genres since I was a little girl and it is because of books like this. I couldn't put it down, it is well written with well developed characters that I completely and utterly became lost in. I loved it