Till We Meet Again: A Canadian in the First World War

by Brandon Marriott

An incredibly evocative and action-filled story of one man’s fight in the First World War, rich and raw with remarkable detail.

As he tended to the chores on his homestead, Lester Harper never imagined that he would turn in his hoe for a Lee-Enfield rifle on the Western Front. But the farmer from Pouce Coupe, in northern British Columbia, found himself at a party agreeing to help form a small-town regiment headed for France and the Great War. Lester left behind his wife, Mabel, in the shadow of the loss of their infant daughter, Hilda. A marksman before he even volunteered for the Canadian Army, Lester joined his cousin and friends, thousands of miles from his home, mere yards from the bayonets, bullets, and gas bombs of the feared Boche. In Till We Meet Again, the First World War comes to life in unprecedented detail, drawing on Lester’s letters as well as meticulous historical research.

Not since Timothy Findley’s The Wars, Tim Cook’s magisterial works about the First World War, or Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front has a book about a soldier’s life at the sharp end been told with such humour, gravitas, and in a heart-pounding narrative that drops you behind enemy lines. For at one point, Lester was trapped in a shell hole, a heartbeat away from the Germans setting up their machine gun to mow down his comrades.

This is a remarkable story, remarkably told. This book will be heralded by historians as a new approach to telling a soldier’s story and will become beloved by readers of military history and anyone who wants to understand what life was like for our boys behind the wire.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War I

320 pages, Hardcover

Published September 30, 2025

Reviews

[Dennis Bolen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fresh take on an historical epoch in Canadian and world history that continues to have relevance in today’s uncertain world. Using correspondence and military records tracing the World War One service of a particular soldier—Private-then-Corporal-then-Sergeant-then-Lieutenant Lester Harper—through the years 1916-19, we are shown the grit and grime of that era’s worst moments.

From daily shelling, bad food, mud and lice, home-sickness and Spanish Flu Lester perseveres, trying mightily to remain true to his home-bound wife and keeping track of brothers, cousins, friends and others involved in a war of such attrition that virtually no citizen of any of the belligerent countries was untouched by death and tragedy. The various sections of Lester’s experience—he earned a Distinguished Conduct Medal at Vimy Ridge—are punctuated by verbatim letters he wrote home.

Overall this is a valuable document of lived history that due to its creation now stands as important information about how dire and macabre human life can be. It would be ideal as a primer for any word leader contemplating war. As the world glimpses geopolitical instability it is important to occupy the mind of such a character as Lester Harper, who wept openly when the world returned to slaughter a mere twenty-two years after his own survival amid the violence. Perhaps his despair at the cruelty and waste, the pointlessness of the destruction, might sway a few higher minds toward sanity.

[William Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly well crafted book telling the story of Lester Harper and his involvement in World War 1. The author, Brandon Marriott, uses old correspondence between Lester and his wife, as well as a host of other sources, to weave an incredible story of the heroism and haunting nightmares these brave men faced on a daily basis on the western front. The book is written in such a way that you get real glimpses into what it must have been like to be a soldier in this “war to end all wars.”

[Mark Adkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Till We Meet Again is the biographical account of Lester Harper, who served as an Infantry soldier with the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during the First World War. He enlisted in the CEF in January 1916 and served in the 138th battalion and the 28th battalion during the war. He was a prolific letter writer, and his letters to his wife Mabel form the basis for this book.

Intermixed with the story of his service during the war are snippets of his life prior to the war, his moving to the Pouce Coupe area in northeastern British Columbia. I had never heard of that area, so I looked it up. Currently the population is around 792 residents, so I can only imagine how small it would have been in 1914 when his family moved there.

I found this book to be an interesting read. I enjoyed the way the author expanded on Lester’s letters and added info from official sources such as war diaries, letters from other soldiers and other relatives. It gives you an interesting insight into life in the trenches and Canadian society in general. Lester and his wife were very religious so reading about some of the beliefs I thought was interesting. An example was when talking about women’s clothing and how they did not have zippers as that would make it too easy to remove the women’s clothes.

The author did admit that at times he could not be 100% sure of the accuracy of the information in Lester’s letters, as he did a lot of self-censoring so as not to worry his wife. The army also censored all letters sent back to Canada; also, some of the letters he wrote were lost. That is to be expected and forgiven, as this book was not intended to be an academic account of the war.

If you are interested in the First World War, especially Canada’s involvement in it, then I recommend you read this book.

[Brent Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Till We Meet Again: A Canadian In the First World War, is a book that I'm reading as part of my MFA-Fiction search for a comparative title.

I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. I'm not normally a big fan of creative non-fiction, but I think that Brandon Marriot did a great job of capturing Lester Harper's voice. Such accuracy makes the reader feel that they are following Lester's various adventures by his side from prior to the war until after it.

Relying heavily upon letters between Lester and his wife, Mable, as well as war records, newspapers and interviews with family members, this historically accurate account really gives a great sense of what it meant to be a part of a Canadian infantry battalion in WWI. I really liked the format, alternated from the current moment to a look back at a relevant part of Lester or his family's life.

I think that Lester had been a part of a family that settled the rough country of BC and Alberta added to the story.

I think two highlights of the book that boosted me from 4 to 5 stars were two particular experiences Lester had with German artillery. I don't want to spoil them, but they were particularly well done.

As a student of history and a developing author, I think that this book was very well done and worth reading if you have an interested in Canadian history in general, or Canadian WWI history in particular. Highly recommended.

[Kolt A · Rating 5 out of 5]

To think that war is noble and adventurous, you only have to read this work to rethink that idea quickly.

Taken from the letters and experiences of Robert Lester Harper, a soldier of the First World War in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, who enlisted in 1916 and saw battles such as Vimy Ridge (the costliest battle for Canada in its history), one gets an idea of the gruesome nature of the “War to End All Wars” and the desire to never repeat those mistakes. (Which were ignored)

I rank this book with a tidy ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ and highly recommended it to anyone interested in a little covered area of service during The Great War, those gallant men from Canada.

[John K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched and written book about a Canadian, and Canada's experience during WWI. The sacrifices and suffering were profound and Vimy Ridge is where Canada forged her identity. This was the basis for the freedoms and reputation that Canada has today.

I am not much of a history reader but this was quite entertaining and thought provoking. I am not sure how many Canadians would answer a call to duty today.

[Maurice Tougas · Rating 4 out of 5]

What was it like to fight in the First World War? Author Brandon Marriott uses the correspondence of WWI soldier Lester Harper to paint a vivid portrait of the sheer hell of fighting in the trenches. My only complaint is with Marriott's attempts at dialogue between the soldiers, which detracts from the overall impact of the book. But otherwise, a worthwhile addition to the history of Canada's First World War history.

[Enid Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting telling of one man’s experience of WW2… lovely “blend” of fact and fiction. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of the letters in their full original form.

If you’ve read Timothy Findlay’s The Wars or anything by Tim Cook then this title will appeal to you.

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy.

3.5 rounded up to 4

[Lucy Gray-Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, which tells the story of a WW1 soldier from Western Canada, is so well done! Based on the soldier's own letters during the war, I found it full of details and insights into the life of a soldier and the war itself. At the same time, it is very well written and enjoyable to read so you receive a history lesson while reading something resembling a novel. I highly recommend!

[Troy Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed and sobering story of a Canadian during WWI. Based on letters, the writing allows us to follow Lester for the war. Some of the time jumping was erratic, but overall the book was remarkably well crafted

[Laura D · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strikingly true Canadian WWI story of hardship, love and resilience that invites the reader on a century-old journey.

[Kael Douglas]

Excellent work

[Jean-Francois Delorme · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ended up being quite a lively and impactful book. A few times it felt a little repetitive but the ending had me close to tears.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

First class- so engaging. Could be up there with some of my favorite WW1 books of all time.

[Michael Harrelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly immersive narrative and a quick read as well. 5/5

[Brenda Papalazarou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at life on the front line in WW1 through the letters of a soldier