Raising Hope [Hardcover]

Katie Willard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 16, 2005

Ruth Teller is a tough-as-nails waitress at a local restaurant. Sara Lynn Hoffman is an uptight, well-to-do lawyer. And Aimee, Sara Lynn’s mother, is an opinionated widow who speaks her mind freely and judges people harshly. On the surface, they appear to have little in common, but in fact, they share a house...and more. Together, they are raising a 12-year-old girl named Hope, who came into their lives as an infant and changed everything. Tender and touching, RAISING HOPE is the story of three generations of women coming together to find love and the true meaning of family in the most unexpected ways.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The individual stories of three generations of women are interwoven in Willard's heartrending and heartwarming novel. Raised by her aunt and her father's ex-lover--two women poles apart in background and temperament but united in their love for the child they share--12-year-old Hope Teller attempts to make sense of her place in the universe and to reconnect with the father she never knew. Down-to-earth waitress Ruth Teller and wealthy ex-attorney Sara Lynn Hoffman have both put their own lives and desires on hold while involved in raising their beloved daughter. As both these women approach middle age, they reassess their own relationships with their mothers, learning the hard way that letting go is never easy but always necessary. This timeless tale of mothers and daughters and the bonds they share and struggle to maintain or break is enhanced by Willard's uncanny ability to cross generational lines, instilling all her characters with unique and believable voices. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A lovely story! Katie Willard's characters sounded like old friends speaking to me as I read." -- -- Billie Letts, author of Where the Heart Is

"RAISING HOPE does just that. A sweet, optimistic debut novel that promises more to look forward to from Katie Willard." -- -- Claire Cook, author of Must Love Dogs

"RAISING HOPE is a lively story about a quirky, cobbled together family. It sparkles with wit, charm and heart" -- - Ann Hood, author of Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1ST edition (May 16, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446576875
• ISBN-13: 978-0446576871
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,462,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely story about the importance of friends and family, May 19, 2005

By 

Angela Dalecki (NightsandWeekends.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Raising Hope (Hardcover)

Raising Hope is the story of Ruth Teller, a rough-around-the edges, down-to-earth, tough waitress who's been knocked around a bit by life, and Sara Lynn Hoffman, a smart, beautiful ex-lawyer. The girls hated each other when they grew up together in the small town of Ridley Falls, New Hampshire. But when Ruth's brother (and Sara Lynn's ex-boyfriend), Bobby, makes Ruth and Sara Lynn legal guardians of his baby daughter, Hope, after his wife dies, the girls must put aside their personal differences and not only live together but raise a child together.

The story is set in the summer after Hope's twelfth birthday. Sara Lynn's overbearing mother, Mamie, has moved in, and the summer is a rocky period for everyone involved. Ruth is carrying on a secret romance with her boss, Sara Lynn is falling in love with Hope's (much younger) tennis instructor, and Hope is going through one of the most tumultuous and confusing times of any girl's life-adolescence. Throw in some family tension-Hope has a crush on the same tennis instructor that Sara Lynn is dating; Sara Lynn keeps clashing with her mother (who's still more than a little disappointed with some of the choices Sara Lynn has made, and she's not afraid to say so); Hope is desperate to find out more about her "real" parents-and you have a recipe for a coming-of-age story that celebrates the bonds of family.

The book is written by first-time novelist Katie Willard, and it's an excellent debut. She does employ some interesting storytelling tactics-like the way each chapter is written from the point of view of a different character (Ruth, Sara Lynn, Hope, or Mamie). I wasn't sure I liked that approach at first (whenever I started a new chapter, it took me a couple of minutes to figure out who the new speaker was), but it turned out to be a really effective way of rounding out the story. It lets the reader get into all of the characters' heads in a way that would be impossible otherwise. The book also travels back and forth in time to Ruth and Sara Lynn's childhoods and young adult periods-to let us more into their worlds and their respective histories.

Raising Hope is a lovely story about the importance of friends and family. As Ruth and Sara Lynn struggle to raise a young lady, they remember their not-always-perfect relationships with their own mothers. This novel reminds you that you can't choose your family-but you can definitely make do with what you've been given. No matter who you are, you should be able to identify with at least one of the characters (for me, it was Sara Lynn). It's a pretty quick read, too. I'd recommend it for some light summer reading-or maybe as a belated Mother's Day gift.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Story of Four Women and Three Generations, September 22, 2005

By 

FictionAddiction.NET - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raising Hope (Hardcover)

Hope was orphaned as a baby when her mother died in childbirth and her father abandoned her to live with his sister Ruth and first love Sara Lynn. Ruth and Sara Lynn are complete opposites that are bonded by their love for Hope. Twelve-year-old Hope has developed into a wonderful young woman whose curiosity about her father and his abandonment has left her with self esteem issues.

Sara Lynn comes from a well-to-do family while Ruth is more of the "wrong side of the tracks" type. When they are given Hope to rise together it's a change of lifestyle that has brought them together and changed their lives.

Both women have been making sacrifices their whole lives to try and do what is best for Hope. Putting off relationships of their own, fearing the effects on their lives raising Hope.

Raising Hope shows the give and take struggle of relationships and the beautiful bonds formed between these women throughout the generations. The story shifts from woman to woman, past to present and shines a light on the struggles these woman have faced throughout the years.

Katie Willard tells a beautiful story touching on motherhood, friendship and coming of age. Each chapter is written from a different character point of view giving insight into their individual lives and how they all tie together.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A new star!, June 11, 2005

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raising Hope (Hardcover)

Katie Willard, author of Raising Hope has written a charming first novel. Although it is set in New Hampshire, Willard's writing has the feel of a Southern novel. And for me that is a positive. I enjoy the sense of place and being that many of the good Southern writers possess - and Raising Hope fills the bill.

Two distinctly different women from the same small New Hampshire town are brought together in an unusual manner. Ruth Teller was raised by a single mother who worked hard cleaning the houses of her town's wealthier inhabitants. Sara Lynn Hoffman came from one of the wealthy families that Ruth's mother worked for. Ruth barely graduated from high school and began working for her mother. Sara Lynn was the valedictorian of their class and became a lawyer.

Because of the vast differences in their lives and circumstances, these woman should never have come into contact with each other following graduation. But life sometimes laughs at us and our preconceived notions. Not only did they meet again but they are sharing a home and raising a twelve-year-old girl named Hope. This child, who came into their lives shortly after her birth and as a result of a tragedy, has changed their lives and their outlook on life.

The novel moves back and forth in time and is told from the perspective of Ruth, Sara Lynn, Hope and Sara Lynn's elderly mother, Mamie.

Raising Hope is a delightful novel about mothers and daughters - and also about unconditional love. It proves that family can be anywhere and can be anyone.