Promise in the Void

Promise in the Void tells the story of Helen, a war bride fighting to make a life on the Canadian prairies in the aftermath of the second World War. 

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In the aftermath of WWII, Helen, a war bride from England, journeys with her infant son to an unfamiliar continent on the hope of a promise. A promise that is, at times, hard to hold on to.

While Canadian citizens face their private battles at home, Helen determinedly perseveres as wife to a suffering veteran and mother to their son. Her resolve to fight for her family and make the vast, distant prairies her new homeland, reveal the strength and power of a war bride's heart.

Eileen began writing Promise in the Void in the mid-1940s. Many aspects of the story parallel her own journey as an immigrant to Canada. In 1997, she passed the manuscript on to her granddaughter Rebekah, who published the novel in 2017.

"The way history should be taught: through personal experiences. The style of writing is refreshing, powerful words — gripping."

— Anna-Lynn Sanche

retired teacher & daughter of a war bride

"From the busy, war-torn streets of England to the rural, isolated landscape of the Canadian Prairies, this rare tale reads like a personal memoir."

— Donna Ward

author and publisher at Northwood Press