Hope Was Here Abandonment Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Page Number)

Quote #1

I stood there remembering how Gleason had stolen the money from the cash register one night; how he'd cleared out the business bank account and headed off for parts unknown with Charlene the night waitress and our money. (3)

Hope had loved her job as a waitress at the diner that Addie co-owned with Gleason Beal. She had loved living in Brooklyn, NY, just as much. But it was Gleason's betrayal that forced Hope and Addie to uproot their lives and start over once again. It takes a long time for Hope to get over this one. Who can blame her?

Quote #2

My mother didn't want the responsibility of a baby so she left me with Addie, her older sister, and went off to live her own life. (5)

Pretty selfish, huh? But maybe Deena deserves a little more credit. The way Addie sees it is that Deena missed out on the mothering gene and could have never been the kind of mother Hope would have wanted her to be. Maybe deep down Deena knew this too, and thought Hope would have a better life with someone less deficient in the nurturing department.

Quote #3

Lyla hid me in her attic with root beer and Fritos, but after a while I got scared thinking that Addie might leave me flat like my mom did. (11)

You can run from it, but you still can't hide. The fear of abandonment is what we're talking about here. It lurks in the far corners of Hope's mind and jumps out at her from time to time for the next six years.