Praise forIll Be Seeing You
I devoured this story in one greedy, glorious gulp. Oh, the women! I love them. I love their families and their voices and their stories. I bet youll love them, too.
Marisa de los Santos, bestselling author of Love Walked In
A delight! Ill Be Seeing You made me want to get out a pen and paper and write a friend a good old-fashioned letter. Sarah Jio, author of The Violets of March
Original and heartfelt Set in World War II, yet somehow timeless, this novel is as beautifully written as it is captivating. An absolutely terrific debut.
Sarah Pekkanen, author of The Opposite of Me
Women on the WWII home front faced loneliness and terrible fears. But Ill Be Seeing You tells the compelling story of two women who endured, bolstered by duty, love and, most important, friendship. I read this sweet, compassionate novel with my heart in my throat. Kelly OConnor McNees, author of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott
Vivid and well-crafted, Ill Be Seeing You poignantly illustrates the hopes and struggles of life on the home front. Readers will laugh, cry and be inspired by this timeless story of friendship and courage. Pam Jenoff, bestselling author of Kommandants Girl
Ill Be Seeing You Suzanne Hayes & Loretta Nyhan
SUZANNE HAYES is the author of the novel The Witch of Little Italy (under the name Suzanne Palmieri) and her essays have been published in Life Learning Magazine and Full of Crow: On the Wing edition. She lives with her husband and three daughters in New Haven, Connecticut.
LORETTA NYHAN has worked as a journalist and copywriter, and currently teaches college writing and humanities. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and family. Ill Be Seeing You is her first novel.
To all the women who have waited
and to those who continue to wait
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 125
Chapter 126
Chapter 127
Chapter 128
Chapter 129
Chapter 130
Chapter 131
Chapter 132
Chapter 133
Chapter 134
Chapter 135
Chapter 136
Chapter 137
Chapter 138
Chapter 139
Chapter 140
Chapter 141
Chapter 142
Chapter 143
Acknowledgments
Questions for Discussion
A Conversation with Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan
January 19, 1943
ROCKPORT, MASSACHUSETTS
Dear Garden Witch,
Ive stained my fingers blue trying to do this right.
Tonight, though, Im feeling rather lonesome and overwhelmed, so Im throwing caution to the wind and finally writing to you, a woman I do not know, with the honest understanding that you might not have the time (or desire) to write back in return.
I guess the best place to begin is at the beginning, right?
Theres a ladies 4-H group that meets at the church hall on Wednesday afternoons. I dont really fit in, but Im trying to pass the time. Anyway, they didnt give out real names, only these addresses, you know? And said if we felt lonesome (which I do) or desperate (which I didnt...but I feel it creeping in on me day by day) or anything, we could sit down and write a letter to another girl who might be in the same situation. The situation. I just loved the way Old Lady Moldyflower (Mrs. Moldenhauer) said it. What does she know about our situation?
They passed a hat around that held pieces of paper with fake names and real addresses. I suppose the purpose is anonymity, but I figured if we are going to write, why not know each other? The paper slips hadnt been folded, and the girls were sifting through, picking whichever struck their fancy. The whole exercise felt silly and impractical, to tell you the truth. I wasnt going to take a name at all, but Mrs. Moldenhauer nudged me so hard I believe she left a bruise on my upper arm. To spite her, I picked last. I guess the other girls skipped over you because you have witch in your fake name. I feel lucky I got you. I could use a little magic these days. Im seven months along now, and Robbie, Jr. is only just two. Hes a holy terror.
Well...heres hoping you get this and you feel like writing back. Itll be good to run to the mailbox looking for a letter without an army seal on it.
My name is Gloria Whitehall. Im twenty-three years old. My husband is First Sergeant Robert Whitehall in the Second Infantry.
Nice to make your acquaintance.
With fondest regards,
Glory
February 1, 1943
IOWA CITY, IOWA
Dear Glory,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I apologize for its lateness, but to be honest I spent a week debating whether or not to pass your letter along to Mrs. Kleinschmidt, my next-door neighbor. She dragged me to the Christmas party for the 4-H, which is when we war wives scrawled our phony names on those slips of pink paper. I was in an awful mood,