Hope Was Here Resources

Here's Joan Bauer's own website, complete with bibliography, bio, and blog.

For a brief history of the American diner, visit this virtual museum. Its mission is "to save the vintage diners that are in danger of distinction."

Diner enthusiast and curator Richard Gutman shares his passion for all things diner-related in this article posted on Smithsonian.org.

KidsHealth offers parents, teens, and younger children clear-cut information on complex medical issues.

The same Wisconsin-based company known for its mammoth cheese wheels reveals the secrets to its award-winning cheddar in this four-minute journey through the cheese-making process.

Sponsored by the New York Public Library, this transcript of a live chat with the author includes her interesting response to the question, "What's the best advice anyone has ever given you?"

Publisher's Weekly called the book "comfort food" in this review.

Bauer describes her younger self as a "[...] punk who loved to read" in this frank and honest video interview.

This "book talk" video posted by the Blackburn Library at Friends' Central school in Pennsylvania features a very articulate young lady discussing the virtues of Hope Was Here. It's sweet!

The sound effects in this video "book report" will slap you silly.

When the novel was first published in 2000, the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City stood tall in the background of the cover illustration.

In 2005 (four years after 9/11) the book was re-released with an updated cover. The New York City skyline was replaced with a photograph of a half-eaten apple pie.

According to this map, Hope and Addie travel close to 800 miles to reach Wisconsin from New York City, roughly 14 hours by car. That's a lot of time to spend behind the wheel of a Buick (especially without a cell phone or a built-in DVD player).

A glimpse of High Street in the real small town of Mineral Point, WI, makes it easy to imagine what the fictional town of Mulhoney looks like.

The Red Rooster Café in Mineral Point, WI, is a family-owned restaurant noted for its breakfasts and original desserts. It would be the perfect place to film Hope Was Here if it ever makes it to the big screen.