In Homelands, writers investigate the complexities of how women experience, remember, and imagine journeys to their homelands. Approaching the topic from varying perspectives — exile, longing, belonging, diaspora, idealization — they show that “homeland” isn't just a physical place. It can also be an imagined community, a part of one's identity, or simply a wavering memory. It’s a world we create and re-create every day.

Among the contributors are Etel Adnan, who describes her life as an exile from Beruit after choosing to leave a city at war. Agate Nesaule, who as a youngster left Latvia under Nazi and Soviet threat, writes of envying a young Latvian girl's life, rich in place, language, and music. Sarah McCormic echoes the experience of many “American mutts” who can claim so many heritages that they feel a connection to none.

The writers in this collection beautifully capture the complicated notion of homeland and reflect the diversity of women's realities in the world.