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Content Warning: This section contains discussions of emotional trauma and mental health conditions.

Hope House is an important symbol in the book. It is the family shelter that the Trudeaus move into after a brief stint at an emergency shelter. The Trudeaus’ first impression of the emergency shelter is a grim one. Gary is forced to stay in another building, as the one they first arrive at houses women and children separately; this is upsetting to an already distressed family. Additionally, Piper cannot help compare the shelter to the home they have left behind and feels terrible about her new situation.

Hope House, as the name suggests, is a far more positive experience for the Trudeaus. To begin with, they can reunite as a family, and it is one of the things they have to be thankful for on the first night there. Secondly, it is where Piper finds Firefly Girls Troop 423, the same one she saw advertised earlier and reminded her of her troop back home. The troop fast becomes her community, helping her feel more stable and at home. Over time, the Trudeaus’ lives at Hope House see a steady uptick: Gary finds a job, Piper and Dylan settle into school, and Piper grows closer with other children at Hope House through Firefly Girls, as well as through their shared efforts at helping

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