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Back When We Meet Again Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Prologue
  5. One
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-one
  26. Twenty-two
  27. Twenty-three
  28. Twenty-four
  29. Twenty-five
  30. Twenty-six
  31. Twenty-seven
  32. Twenty-eight
  33. Twenty-nine
  34. Thirty
  35. Thirty-one
  36. Thirty-two
  37. Thirty-three
  38. Thirty-four
  39. Thirty-five
  40. Thirty-six
  41. Thirty-seven
  42. Thirty-eight
  43. Thirty-nine
  44. Forty
  45. Forty-one
  46. Forty-two
  47. Forty-three
  48. Forty-four
  49. Forty-five
  50. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  51. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  52. POPULAR BOOKS FROM THE ERA
  53. When We Meet Again
  54. A Conversation with Caroline Beecham about When We Meet Again
  55. Discussion Guide
  56. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  57. What’s next onyour reading list?

“Yes.” They would have records, and perhaps she could learn the names of couples the agency had rejected, those who might have turned to another source to find a baby.

“You can borrow Michael if you need to pretend to be married,” Penny said earnestly, “don’t worry about that.”

That hadn’t crossed Alice’s mind, but it was something to remember if doing things this way didn’t work, and Penny’s gentle giant of a husband would agree to be involved.

“Thanks very much,” said Alice. “For now, I just need to find their address.”

“That’s easy, it’s in the newspaper. They often have adverts in the classifieds section. And they always break my heart.”

“I don’t suppose you’ve got any papers, have you?” If Alice had a copy of the Daily Mail, she might be able to find the advert her mother had described.

“Sure, over there.” She pointed to a wooden rack near the window. “You take a look while I get the kids in, then we’re taking you upstairs.”

“That sounds good.” Alice squeezed Penny’s hand. “And thank you.”

Alice examined the papers from cover to cover but couldn’t find an advertisement for the National Children Adoption Association or a notice for private adoption. She was ready to give up when she found a group of adverts in the classified section.

Wanted—a baby-lover to adopt a baby girl; love only. Slough.

Offered for Adoption—month-old baby girl. All rights forfeited. Contact PO Box 575, Guardian Office.

His Job Is to Find a Baby Girl

WANTED—a baby girl for adoption by English people in Ecuador, South American Republic of the Pacific, over 5,000 miles away. The baby must be typically English, must be a girl, and must be strong enough to withstand the journey.

She clamped her hand across her mouth as she fought to stay calm. The adverts made her even more certain that she needed to ignore the police and act quickly.

Twelve

London, March 22, 1943

Wanted—a baby girl for adoption by English people in Ecuador . . . must be strong enough to withstand the journey. The words still echoed in Alice’s mind as she made her way down Sloane Street early on Monday morning, looking for the National Children Adoption Association. She’d struggled to sleep in the attic room as she thought about unmarried mothers, babies and childless couples, and the people who benefited from all their misfortunes. She had finally drifted off just before dawn, and Penny’s kids had woken her soon afterward, so her feet were clumsy and her eyes gritty as she searched for the address.