Wait Till Helen Comes Book Summary - Wait Till Helen Comes Book explained in key points

Wait Till Helen Comes summary

Name: Wait Till Helen Comes
Author: Mary Downing Hahn

Brief summary

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn is a chilling ghost story about a young girl named Molly who must confront the vengeful spirit of Helen, a ghost with a dangerous hold over her new stepsister.

Give Feedback

Topics

Ghost Ghost Story

Table of Contents

Wait Till Helen Comes
Summary of key ideas

Introducing a Sinister Presence

In Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn, we meet Molly, a twelve-year-old girl, her ten-year-old brother Michael, and their newly blended family. The children's father, Dave, has recently remarried Jean, a woman with a seven-year-old daughter named Heather. The family moves to an old church in the countryside, which they plan to renovate and convert into their new home. But soon, the children notice something odd about Heather's behavior.

Heather begins to act secretive and withdrawn, and she claims to have made a new friend named Helen. Molly and Michael dismiss this as a childish fantasy at first, but as Heather's behavior becomes increasingly erratic, they grow concerned. Their fears are confirmed when they learn that Helen is not a living person, but a ghost from the church's dark past.

Heather's Haunting

As the story progresses, Heather's relationship with Helen grows more intense. She becomes increasingly isolated and obsessed with the ghost, spending all her time in the church graveyard, where Helen's grave is located. Molly and Michael, worried for their stepsister's well-being, try to intervene, but Heather becomes hostile and manipulative, using her connection with Helen to threaten the others.

Meanwhile, Molly and Michael discover that Helen was a troubled child who died in a fire over a century ago. They learn about her tragic life, including her abusive stepfather and her accidental death. They realize that Helen's spirit is lingering, seeking revenge on the living for her untimely demise. The children are now faced with the challenge of saving Heather from Helen's malevolent influence.

A Desperate Attempt to Save Heather

As Heather's behavior becomes more alarming, Molly and Michael decide to take matters into their own hands. They seek the help of the local librarian, who is knowledgeable about the church's history and the haunting of Helen. With her guidance, they devise a plan to confront Helen's ghost and put her spirit to rest.

In a tense and terrifying climax, the children lure Helen's spirit into the church and attempt to trap her inside. Their plan goes awry when Heather, under Helen's control, tries to prevent them from sealing the ghost. In a dramatic struggle, the children manage to overpower Helen and seal her inside the church, freeing Heather from her influence.

Reconciliation and Moving Forward

With Helen's spirit finally at peace, the family begins to heal. Heather, freed from the ghost's influence, returns to her old self, and the siblings grow closer as they share the experience of their harrowing encounter with the supernatural. The family also comes to terms with their blended status, finding a new sense of unity and understanding.

In the end, Wait Till Helen Comes is a story of resilience and reconciliation. The children learn to navigate their complicated family dynamics and face their fears, emerging stronger and more united. And although the ghostly presence of Helen is gone, her haunting tale will linger in the children's memories for a long time to come.

Give Feedback

How do we create content on this page?

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is Wait Till Helen Comes about?

Wait Till Helen Comes is a spine-tingling novel by Mary Downing Hahn. It tells the story of a young girl named Molly who moves to a remote country house with her family. There, they encounter a malicious ghost named Helen who tries to lure Molly's younger stepsister into the afterlife. Full of suspense and mystery, this book is a must-read for fans of ghost stories and supernatural tales.

Wait Till Helen Comes Review

Wait Till Helen Comes (1986) is a haunting tale of a young girl named Molly dealing with her stepsister's eerie obsession with a ghost. Here's why this book is a compelling read:

Explores themes of family dynamics and supernatural occurrences, keeping readers engaged with a mix of curiosity and suspense.
Delivers a chilling blend of mystery and emotion, captivating readers with its dark atmospheric storytelling.
It showcases the complexities of relationships and confronting fears, offering a unique and thought-provoking reading experience.

Who should read Wait Till Helen Comes?

Readers who enjoy young adult fiction with a supernatural twist
Those who appreciate a suspenseful and eerie atmosphere in their reading
Parents and educators looking for engaging books to recommend to middle grade readers

About the Author

Mary Downing Hahn is a renowned author of children's and young adult fiction. With a career spanning several decades, she has written over thirty books, many of which have become favorites in the genre. Hahn's works often explore themes of friendship, family, and the supernatural, captivating readers with her engaging storytelling and memorable characters. Some of her other notable titles include Deep and Dark and Dangerous and The Old Willis Place.

Categories with Wait Till Helen Comes

Fiction

Book summaries like Wait Till Helen Comes

A Canticle for Leibowitz

Walter M. Miller

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne

Little House in the Big Woods

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Wide Sargasso Sea

Jean Rhys, Judith L. Raiskin

Every Heart a Doorway

Seanan McGuire

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nunzio DeFilippis

Christopher Isherwood

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

Fredrik Backman, Alice Menzies

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.