Zelda and her future daughter-in-law survived the Wreck of the Congressional Ltd. The experience would provide the framework for Zelda's most successful novel.

Two years later, 1945, she published "The Journey Home", the story of a soldier home on leave and a young, attractive career woman who found love and meaning in her life. It was set against the background of the tragedy. It closely followed Zelda's personal experiences with the train wreck.

It became very popular with the reading public, selling up to a million copies.