Wait Till Helen Comes
| Author | Mary Downing Hahn |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Published | 1986, HarperCollins |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 192 pages |
Wait Till Helen Comes is a 1986 novel by American author Mary Downing Hahn. It was first published on January 1, 1986 through HarperCollins and has since gone through several reprints. The book won a 1989 Young Reader's Choice Award and follows a young girl that must deal with supernatural events that surround her. The book deals with the subject of death and suicide, which has led some parents to request that the book be removed from school reading lists and school libraries.
The book begins with a stepfamily moving into a new house located in the country. The house was originally a church, so it still has a graveyard located out back. The previous owners converted it into a house. The stepfamily has been having problems. Heather's father, Dave, married Molly and Michael's mother, Jean. Heather hates her stepfamily and causes problems, hoping it will cause Dave and Jean to divorce. Moving into their new home only makes their problems worse. The graveyard is haunted by a lonely ghost named Helen Harper. Helen and Heather are the same age, seven years old. Both of them were involved in fires. Both of them lost immediate family members to those fires. Helen quickly realizes Heather is just as lonely and miserable as she. She tells Heather that she, Helen, is the only one who will ever love and accept her, no matter what Heather does. As sign of friendship, the ghost gives Heather the locket Helen wore while she was alive. Molly is the only person to discover Heather's new friend.
Soon, things become very tense for the entire family. Heather starts to lie even more about her stepbrother and stepsister, which causes their parents to take sides and to fight more often. Heather also starts threatening her stepbrother and stepsister. She tells them Helen will come after them and their mother. This threat eventually comes true. While everyone was out one day, Helen comes to the house and destroys all of the stuff belonging to Molly's side of the step family. Molly and Michael also argue about Helen's existence. Molly would show him clues pointing to Helen's existence, such as proof that Heather sneaks out of the house in the middle of the night and goes to the graveyard. When Heather realizes they're trying to find proof of Helen's existence, she gets them in trouble by telling her father they're spying on her. Molly tries talking to her mother and stepfather about Helen. They will neither listen to her nor believe her. Instead, they think she has an overactive imagination and is just overreacting to the graveyard located near the house. Michael believes Heather's just a bratty kid who feels powerless against her older siblings. Threatening them with an imaginary friend makes her feel more powerful.
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