Hope Was Here

16-year-old Hope is being raised by her Aunt Addie; together they work in diners, with Addie cooking and Hope waitressing. An unexpected move from Brooklyn to rural Wisconsin is difficult, but soon Hope is involved in a political campaign, meets a wonderful man who is dying of cancer, and finds a boyfriend. Narrator Jenna Lamia splendidly re- creates the characters of New York and Wisconsin restaurant life, as well as a large number of other memorable people. Lamia becomes each character (not a single one is superfluous) as she generously shares them with listeners. Bauer's exceptional text is also well presented. This warm and unusual story should appeal to nearly everyone. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

June 17, 2002

Of this tale of a 16-year-old waitress who searches for a sense of belonging, PW
said that the prose, "often rich in metaphor, brings Hope's surroundings and her emotions to life. Readers are likely to gobble this up like so much comfort food." Ages 10-14.

September 11, 2000
Bauer (Rules of the Road; Squashed) serves up agreeable fare in this tale of a teenage waitress's search for a sense of belonging. Sixteen-year-old Hope has grown used to the nomadic life she has built with her aunt Addie, a talented diner cook. She doesn't mind the hard work it takes to make a diner hum; she seems to have inherited a knack for waiting tables from the free-spirit mom (Addie's younger sister) who abandoned her years ago. But Hope would gladly give up always having to say good-bye to friends and places she loves. When Addie accepts a new job that takes the pair from Brooklyn to the Welcome Stairways diner in Mulhoney, Wis., Hope never could have imagined the big changes ahead of her. She and Addie shine in the small-town milieu and gladly offer to help diner owner G.T. Stoop, who is battling leukemia, run for mayor. Along the way, Addie and Hope both find love, and Hope discovers the father figure she has so desperately wanted. Readers will recognize many of Bauer's hallmarks here--a strong female protagonist on the road to self-discovery, quirky characters, dysfunctional families, a swiftly moving story, moments of bright humor. Her vivid prose, often rich in metaphor (e.g., Hope's description of the Brooklyn diner: "The big, oval counter... sat in the middle of the place like the center ring in a circus"), brings Hope's surroundings and her emotions to life. The author resolves a few of her plot points a bit too tidily, but her fans won't mind. They're likely to gobble this up like so much comfort food. Ages 12-up.