The unifying theme of The View from Saturday is the journey. Each of the five central characters makes a journey of the spirit, and the structure of the novel is held together by journeys.

The most obvious journey is the collective one they take to the state championship. This journey forms the backbone of the novel, holding the disparate narrative strands together by providing a consistent background from beginning to end. It is also an important part of Mrs. Olinski's journey to the discovery of kindness in others.

The other journeys are individual and metaphorical. Mr. Singh and his son Julian regard life as if they are travelers on cruise ships who come together, share portions of their journeys, and then part to follow their own journey to its individual end.

Noah Gershom's journey becomes entangled at different times with the journey to happiness of Margaret...