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Thursday
March 18, 2010 Since 1922 |
Waitress uses hope to get through tough times
By JoAn Martin
Baytown Sun Published April 25, 2004 Bauer. Joan. “Hope Was Here.” New York. G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Hardback. 2000. 186 pages. $16.99. ISBN 0-399-23142-0
In the last three years, Hope had three waitressing jobs. She thought the Blue Box Diner in Brooklyn was the best of all. But when Gleason Beal stole the money from the cash register and ran away with Charlene, Aunt Addie couldn’t keep the diner going.
They packed up the old Buick and headed to Mulhoney, Wis. Addie had never promised Hope that life would be easy, but the food would be good because Addie was a extraordinary cook.
G.T. Stoop, who was dealing with leukemia, had offered Addie a job in his diner, and Hope could be a waitress. They could live above the diner.
Hope’s mother had given her the name, Tulip. But then she immediately gave baby Tulip to her sister, Addie. According to Addie, “Your mother, Deena, doesn’t have the tools to be a mother.”
Hope had seen her mother three times since she was born — on her fifth, eighth, and 13th birthdays. But each time Deena gave Hope waitressing advice: What made a good waitress were good hands and a good personality, keep lemon wedges under the counter and keep a bottle of Tylenol in your pocket.
Hope chose her name and changed it on her 12th birthday, knowing it was a difficult name to live up to. She kept 11 scrapbooks of the places she’d lived and lugged her history around with her. She kept a scrapbook of cut-out magazine pictures who looked to her like steadfast dads.
The author has given us a large cast of characters who either work in the diner or come in to eat Addie’s wonderful cooking — Yuri is recently from Russia, Braverman seems a likely candidate for Hope’s first boyfriend, Pastor Hall comes by often, Deputy Babcock is the only honest cop, and Lou Ellen cries about baby Anastasia.
Mayor Eli Millstone is running to keep his position in an upcoming election, but G.T. Stoop, owner of the diner, recognizes the corruption in the town and challenges him.
The town is delighted with getting an honest man for mayor, in spite of his illness.
Hope and Braverman organize the high school kids, and a furious political battle heats up. Students for Stoop has a good slogan, “Do Something for America,” but defeating Millstone is trickier than they thought.
“Hope Was Here” has been named a Newberry Honor Book.
JoAn Martin reviews children’s books for The Baytown Sun. She is a retired teacher. She may be reached at josbook(at)mindspring.com.
Baytown Sun Published April 25, 2004 Bauer. Joan. “Hope Was Here.” New York. G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Hardback. 2000. 186 pages. $16.99. ISBN 0-399-23142-0
In the last three years, Hope had three waitressing jobs. She thought the Blue Box Diner in Brooklyn was the best of all. But when Gleason Beal stole the money from the cash register and ran away with Charlene, Aunt Addie couldn’t keep the diner going.
They packed up the old Buick and headed to Mulhoney, Wis. Addie had never promised Hope that life would be easy, but the food would be good because Addie was a extraordinary cook.
G.T. Stoop, who was dealing with leukemia, had offered Addie a job in his diner, and Hope could be a waitress. They could live above the diner.
Hope’s mother had given her the name, Tulip. But then she immediately gave baby Tulip to her sister, Addie. According to Addie, “Your mother, Deena, doesn’t have the tools to be a mother.”
Hope had seen her mother three times since she was born — on her fifth, eighth, and 13th birthdays. But each time Deena gave Hope waitressing advice: What made a good waitress were good hands and a good personality, keep lemon wedges under the counter and keep a bottle of Tylenol in your pocket.
Hope chose her name and changed it on her 12th birthday, knowing it was a difficult name to live up to. She kept 11 scrapbooks of the places she’d lived and lugged her history around with her. She kept a scrapbook of cut-out magazine pictures who looked to her like steadfast dads.
The author has given us a large cast of characters who either work in the diner or come in to eat Addie’s wonderful cooking — Yuri is recently from Russia, Braverman seems a likely candidate for Hope’s first boyfriend, Pastor Hall comes by often, Deputy Babcock is the only honest cop, and Lou Ellen cries about baby Anastasia.
Mayor Eli Millstone is running to keep his position in an upcoming election, but G.T. Stoop, owner of the diner, recognizes the corruption in the town and challenges him.
The town is delighted with getting an honest man for mayor, in spite of his illness.
Hope and Braverman organize the high school kids, and a furious political battle heats up. Students for Stoop has a good slogan, “Do Something for America,” but defeating Millstone is trickier than they thought.
“Hope Was Here” has been named a Newberry Honor Book.
JoAn Martin reviews children’s books for The Baytown Sun. She is a retired teacher. She may be reached at josbook(at)mindspring.com.