Hope Was Here

Hope Was Here (2000) by Joan Bauer tells the story of Hope Yancey, a witty and optimistic 16-year-old coping with the complexities of growing up amid financial difficulty, social upheaval, and change in her family. Hope has been raised by her Aunt Addie after her mother surrendered custody of her at birth. As Hope and Addie traverse the country chasing jobs and running diners, Hope grapples with her identity and figuring out where to call home. The novel was named a Newbery Honor Book and named runner-up for the Newbery Medal in 2001. It was also named an ALA Notable Book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and won the Young Reader’s Choice Award in 2003. The audiobook, narrated by Jenna Lamia, won the AudioFile Earphones Award.

The source material for this guide comes from the 2000 edition by Putnam.

Plot Summary

Hope Yancey is a 16-year-old living in Brooklyn, New York, with her Aunt Addie, her legal guardian and the manager of the local Blue Box diner, where they both work. After Gleason Beal, Addie’s business partner at the diner, steals the diner’s money and runs off, Hope and Addie pack their car and move to Mulhoney, Wisconsin, in search of other opportunities.