Was republished as The Homecoming by Harvest House Publishers

This is a story with the message that no parent, however honest, sincere and well-intentioned, can successfully guide his children through the problems of youth unless he himself knows both the pitfalls and the answer.

John Nielson's wife died giving birth to their daughter, Jan, and he undertook to bring her up despite the urging of his sister-in-law, Myra, that he hand his daughter over to her. Jan grew up in a poor neighborhood and was a particular pal of Danny, a young tough who started early down the primrose path. One day he was injured in play, and this incident led to Jan's meeting with Andy Hightower, a pre-medical student who represented her ideal of a man.

Myra eventually prevailed on John Nielson to put his daughter in her care in order that she might acquire the polish which, Myra thought, she sadly lacked. The rest of the story concerns the struggle of divided loyalty and ambition in Jan, who somehow was unable to find happiness in the formal and somewhat shallow life at her aunt's. In a final moment of crisis she came to realize where her heart's desire really lay.

This is an inspiring story of a girl's search for happiness, and it carries particular meaning for our day.

(From the Grosset and Dunlap hardcover edition.)

As a young girl, Jan Nielson faced a tug-of-war between two worlds. Her widowed father was determined to raise his daughter on his own in a dirty, yellow-brick boarding house in Chester - while a hard-hearted, rich aunt coveted the small child and desired to bring her up in the finest of culture, amidst the wealth of Oak Hill.

For 16 years, John Nielson and Jan happily shared their simple home. Then one day through a series of tragic circumstances, Jan finds she must leave her beloved father and seek the protection of Oak Hill... and Aunt Myra.

Caught up in the luxurious social events and the growing romance of Oak Hill, Jan's visits home come less often, until a crisis forces her to choose. Can the love and faith of the men who stand with her be enough to show her the way?

(From the Harvest House Publishers paperback edition.)