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We Will Meet Again
A testament to the strength of women.
Mothers and daughters share a special bond. It is an unconditional love that is irreplaceable.
Hadley Hynes is days away from celebrating her one hundredth birthday. Her daughter, Patricia, granddaughter Ava, and great-granddaughter Christine are planning one last birthday party in the house on Victoria Street that Hadley has lived in for over eighty years.
While cleaning out the cupboards, Ava discovers a hidden box of letters from Hadley’s first love, John Vincent, a Newfoundlander who volunteered to serve in the British Royal Navy. It is only then they discover that John died during World War II and Hadley married John’s best friend, Michael.
While cleaning out their childhood home, each woman reveals a secret that has paralyzed her life. They pack up boxes and bags only to discover how each of them has nurtured a generational trauma and turned it into a family tradition.
We Will Meet Again is the love story of four generations of women and how they healed their past to protect their future.
Mothers and daughters share a special bond. It is an unconditional love that is irreplaceable.
Hadley Hynes is days away from celebrating her one hundredth birthday. Her daughter, Patricia, granddaughter Ava, and great-granddaughter Christine are planning one last birthday party in the house on Victoria Street that Hadley has lived in for over eighty years.
While cleaning out the cupboards, Ava discovers a hidden box of letters from Hadley’s first love, John Vincent, a Newfoundlander who volunteered to serve in the British Royal Navy. It is only then they discover that John died during World War II and Hadley married John’s best friend, Michael.
While cleaning out their childhood home, each woman reveals a secret that has paralyzed her life. They pack up boxes and bags only to discover how each of them has nurtured a generational trauma and turned it into a family tradition.
We Will Meet Again is the love story of four generations of women and how they healed their past to protect their future.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 21, 2024
4 people are currently reading
593 people want to read
About the author
Helen C. Escott
12 books154 followersHelen C. Escott is an award-winning Canadian author and playwright whose cinematic storytelling and deep insight into the human condition have earned her a distinguished place among contemporary crime writers.
A former senior communications strategist with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, she brings a rare authenticity and precision to her work—translating decades of real-world experience into gripping narratives that pulse with realism, emotional truth, and suspense.
Her bestselling Operation Series—a six-book collection of crime thrillers—has captivated readers across Canada and beyond. The first book in the series was shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada’s Best First Crime Novel Award. The entire series has been optioned for television and lauded for its chillingly current investigations, unpredictable twists, and deeply human characters. The series’ success was further recognized with a Silver Medal for Best Regional Fiction at the 24th Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards and the 2023 Best Atlantic-Published Book Award from the Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association (APMA).
Helen’s writing is distinguished by its cinematic pace, vivid realism, and emotional resonance. Her works reflect not only the complexities of crime and justice but also the moral and psychological landscapes of those who live within them. Drawing upon her years as a Civilian Member of the RCMP, she weaves intricate plots rooted in authenticity and insight. Her career with the RCMP included leading communications for high-profile national operations—such as the force’s response to the September 11th terrorist attacks—and developing regional strategies to combat organized crime and outlaw biker gangs. She also designed and taught a media relations course delivered across Canada, including at the Canadian Police College in Ottawa, and served as a communications strategist at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Her literary and public contributions have been widely recognized. In 2021, she received the Veterans Ombud Commendation Lifetime Contribution Award for her outstanding work with veterans. Among her other honors are the CLB Governor and Commandants' Medallion (2017) for excellence in volunteering and fundraising, the Governor General’s Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers (2019), and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Certificate of Recognition (2022) for her advocacy on behalf of veterans.
Published Works
Crime Thriller Series (Flanker Press):
• Operation Wormwood — A top-five finalist for the 2019 Arthur Ellis Awards for Best First Crime Novel.
• The Reckoning — The powerful conclusion to Operation Wormwood, acclaimed for its dark, ingenious plotting.
• Operation Vanished — Winner of the Silver Medal for Best Regional Fiction at the 24th Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards.
• Operation Trafficked — A lightning-paced and chillingly relevant thriller exploring the global human trafficking network.
• Operation Masonic — A gripping, historically layered mystery set within the secretive world of Freemasonry.
• Operation Betrayed — A haunting exploration of betrayal, justice, and the societal biases that shape investigations.
Standalone Novels:
• We Will Meet Again — A multi-generational story of love, loss, and resilience that spans nearly a century.
• In Search of Adventure: 70 Years of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Newfoundland and Labrador — A comprehensive collection of memoirs and personal stories, named one of the top Atlantic Canadian memoirs.
• I Am Funny Like That — A memoir of humorous essays reflecting on motherhood, marriage, and the lighter side of a writer’s life.
Legacy and Media Presence
A frequent guest on television, radio, and literary panels, Helen C. Escott remains an influential voice in Canadian arts and culture. Her background in broadcasting, coupled with her deep understanding of communications, has made her a sought-after speaker for teaching courses on writing, and w
A former senior communications strategist with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, she brings a rare authenticity and precision to her work—translating decades of real-world experience into gripping narratives that pulse with realism, emotional truth, and suspense.
Her bestselling Operation Series—a six-book collection of crime thrillers—has captivated readers across Canada and beyond. The first book in the series was shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada’s Best First Crime Novel Award. The entire series has been optioned for television and lauded for its chillingly current investigations, unpredictable twists, and deeply human characters. The series’ success was further recognized with a Silver Medal for Best Regional Fiction at the 24th Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards and the 2023 Best Atlantic-Published Book Award from the Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association (APMA).
Helen’s writing is distinguished by its cinematic pace, vivid realism, and emotional resonance. Her works reflect not only the complexities of crime and justice but also the moral and psychological landscapes of those who live within them. Drawing upon her years as a Civilian Member of the RCMP, she weaves intricate plots rooted in authenticity and insight. Her career with the RCMP included leading communications for high-profile national operations—such as the force’s response to the September 11th terrorist attacks—and developing regional strategies to combat organized crime and outlaw biker gangs. She also designed and taught a media relations course delivered across Canada, including at the Canadian Police College in Ottawa, and served as a communications strategist at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Her literary and public contributions have been widely recognized. In 2021, she received the Veterans Ombud Commendation Lifetime Contribution Award for her outstanding work with veterans. Among her other honors are the CLB Governor and Commandants' Medallion (2017) for excellence in volunteering and fundraising, the Governor General’s Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers (2019), and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Certificate of Recognition (2022) for her advocacy on behalf of veterans.
Published Works
Crime Thriller Series (Flanker Press):
• Operation Wormwood — A top-five finalist for the 2019 Arthur Ellis Awards for Best First Crime Novel.
• The Reckoning — The powerful conclusion to Operation Wormwood, acclaimed for its dark, ingenious plotting.
• Operation Vanished — Winner of the Silver Medal for Best Regional Fiction at the 24th Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards.
• Operation Trafficked — A lightning-paced and chillingly relevant thriller exploring the global human trafficking network.
• Operation Masonic — A gripping, historically layered mystery set within the secretive world of Freemasonry.
• Operation Betrayed — A haunting exploration of betrayal, justice, and the societal biases that shape investigations.
Standalone Novels:
• We Will Meet Again — A multi-generational story of love, loss, and resilience that spans nearly a century.
• In Search of Adventure: 70 Years of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Newfoundland and Labrador — A comprehensive collection of memoirs and personal stories, named one of the top Atlantic Canadian memoirs.
• I Am Funny Like That — A memoir of humorous essays reflecting on motherhood, marriage, and the lighter side of a writer’s life.
Legacy and Media Presence
A frequent guest on television, radio, and literary panels, Helen C. Escott remains an influential voice in Canadian arts and culture. Her background in broadcasting, coupled with her deep understanding of communications, has made her a sought-after speaker for teaching courses on writing, and w
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 29, 2024
Hadley Hynes is a few days shy of her hundredth birthday. Her daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter are sorting her out. They are packing up housekeeping for Hadley before she moves into a Home.
Or, to quote Hadley, into “An elderly storehouse where those forgotten about go to die.”
While clearing out the kitchen cupboards, Ava (granddaughter) discovers a shoebox stogged with old letters and the like that Hadley has saved from long ago — from a time when she was a young woman who fell in love with a sailor boy who went off to war, and …
You can handy about guess what happened.
The contents of the box unveil a love story — a love triangle? — and poof the dust off some skeletons-in-the- …, well, in the cupboard, I suppose.
And so on.
Shift gears.
The most immediately recognizable image on the cover of We Will Meet Again [Flanker Press] is a full-faced snap of Elvis Presley sporting his pomaded G.I. Joe/Blue Hawaii haircut.
Listen — Elvis’s music is the soundtrack of this novel.
At the opening, Hadley listens to “Love Me Tender” and prays over her rosary beads. Later, when Ava breaks up with her loser lover, “Hound Dog” rocks out of her car radio. At Hadley’s 100th birthday party (Yes, she fulfils the Happy Birthday song’s hope. She lives to be a hundred.) Elvis sings “How Great Thou Art”.
An Elvis aside: In a previous century, when I lived in a northern mining town in a foreign province, there was an old lady who attended all showings of every Elvis movie that played at the local theater. B’ys, one weekend, she watched Blue Hawaii four times.
How do I know?
I was there also. Whatever that says about me.
End of Elvis aside.
We Will Meet Again is the love story of four generations of women who heal their past “to protect their future”. (B’ys, I stole most of that last line from the book’s back cover.)
That “healing the past” bit might be true, but believe you me, I have never read a yarn in which the women bickered as much as the four in this story. They squabble like cats. Truly.
Patricia (Hadley’s daughter) says, “We’re a strong line of women who hang in there and fight for each other and sometimes with each other, but we never give up on each other.”
Patricia may speak the truth, but I confess, as I read this book, the quarrelling quartet got on my nerves.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the book, because I did. Enjoy the book, that is.
Despite frequently wanting to shake them and say, “For frig sake, ladies, knock it off,” I got a kick out of bits of their bickering.
For instance — Ava and Hadley squabble about the … mysteries of conception, let’s say —
Ava: Why wouldn’t someone know who got them pregnant?
Hadley: If you eat a tin of beans, do you know which one made you fart? (Doodle Smiley Face here.)
Bottom line? We Will Meet Again is an entertaining — okay, and oftentimes emotionally moving — change of pace from Helen C. Escott’s “Operation” novels. Romance or mystery though, I’m sure we’ll meet again.
Lame, or what?
Thank you for reading.
Or, to quote Hadley, into “An elderly storehouse where those forgotten about go to die.”
While clearing out the kitchen cupboards, Ava (granddaughter) discovers a shoebox stogged with old letters and the like that Hadley has saved from long ago — from a time when she was a young woman who fell in love with a sailor boy who went off to war, and …
You can handy about guess what happened.
The contents of the box unveil a love story — a love triangle? — and poof the dust off some skeletons-in-the- …, well, in the cupboard, I suppose.
And so on.
Shift gears.
The most immediately recognizable image on the cover of We Will Meet Again [Flanker Press] is a full-faced snap of Elvis Presley sporting his pomaded G.I. Joe/Blue Hawaii haircut.
Listen — Elvis’s music is the soundtrack of this novel.
At the opening, Hadley listens to “Love Me Tender” and prays over her rosary beads. Later, when Ava breaks up with her loser lover, “Hound Dog” rocks out of her car radio. At Hadley’s 100th birthday party (Yes, she fulfils the Happy Birthday song’s hope. She lives to be a hundred.) Elvis sings “How Great Thou Art”.
An Elvis aside: In a previous century, when I lived in a northern mining town in a foreign province, there was an old lady who attended all showings of every Elvis movie that played at the local theater. B’ys, one weekend, she watched Blue Hawaii four times.
How do I know?
I was there also. Whatever that says about me.
End of Elvis aside.
We Will Meet Again is the love story of four generations of women who heal their past “to protect their future”. (B’ys, I stole most of that last line from the book’s back cover.)
That “healing the past” bit might be true, but believe you me, I have never read a yarn in which the women bickered as much as the four in this story. They squabble like cats. Truly.
Patricia (Hadley’s daughter) says, “We’re a strong line of women who hang in there and fight for each other and sometimes with each other, but we never give up on each other.”
Patricia may speak the truth, but I confess, as I read this book, the quarrelling quartet got on my nerves.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the book, because I did. Enjoy the book, that is.
Despite frequently wanting to shake them and say, “For frig sake, ladies, knock it off,” I got a kick out of bits of their bickering.
For instance — Ava and Hadley squabble about the … mysteries of conception, let’s say —
Ava: Why wouldn’t someone know who got them pregnant?
Hadley: If you eat a tin of beans, do you know which one made you fart? (Doodle Smiley Face here.)
Bottom line? We Will Meet Again is an entertaining — okay, and oftentimes emotionally moving — change of pace from Helen C. Escott’s “Operation” novels. Romance or mystery though, I’m sure we’ll meet again.
Lame, or what?
Thank you for reading.
August 14, 2024
I absolutely loved this book and all its amazing authentic characters especially Hadley. Family is everything. And Elvis! I loved Elvis!
November 23, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it actually made me tear up which not many books can do.
I think it was a wonderful nod to Newfoundland and Labrador soldiers but an even better nod to strong Newfoundland and Labrador women.
Loved the idea, and it is well written. I found that sometimes the dialogue was a bit stilted, and some of the character’s actions a bit overdramatic.
Overall, great book but could have done with some much better editing.
I think it was a wonderful nod to Newfoundland and Labrador soldiers but an even better nod to strong Newfoundland and Labrador women.
Loved the idea, and it is well written. I found that sometimes the dialogue was a bit stilted, and some of the character’s actions a bit overdramatic.
Overall, great book but could have done with some much better editing.
November 20, 2024
This novel is really about the relationships between mothers and daughters over the years.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews