Beyond the Journey features the voices of women who have experienced the challenge of living in Canada's immigrant communities. Some women were brought to Canada as children, while others immigrated as adults; yet others were born in Canada to immigrant parents. The women chronicle their journey of settlement in Canada through life-writing, poetry, and essays. In all instances, they focused on reaching for a sense of belonging in Canada as they engaged in community building. This required transcending their "immigrantness" to create that new reality. While the end result is gratifying, the journey required adapting to the culture shock, alienation, and loss of identity that are inevitably part of the immigrant's experience.