J.Darline Peipman set out to write the novel with the goal of a chapter completed each day. After dinner she had her husband Fred read that chapter to their children every night. The story includes many exciting adventures and a surprise ending, which proves to Richard, Tommy and Lillianna the reality of the words on their piece of embroidered linen. They always carried their piece with them in their pockets, to remind them of mother. Before they left home their mother had taken the carefully hand stitched message from the mantle, tearfully tore it into strips, and handed a strip to each child as their inheritance. Contained on each piece of linen is a priceless message to each individual child: "Love believes all things", "Love hopes all things." ... And "Love Never fails." Taking the Long Way Home is a beautiful moving novel. J. Darline Peipman graduated from university with a degree in English. She enjoys writing and for thirty years has studied this period in which the book was written.