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Jay Perkins
Jupiter is the baby daughter of young teenage parents Joseph Brook and Madeleine Joyce. The state of Maine places her in foster care with a librarian in Brunswick. At the end of the novel, Joseph’s foster parents Mr. Hurd and Mrs. Hurd finally succeed in finalizing their adoption of her—something they began planning to do before Joseph’s tragic death.
Jupiter Quotes in Orbiting Jupiter
The Orbiting Jupiter quotes below are all either spoken by Jupiter or refer to Jupiter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 1 Quotes
“I always know where Jupiter is.”
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Chapter 3 Quotes
“Being responsible,” Mr. Canton said, “means being ready to do what you’re supposed to be doing, even if no one is watching or making you do it. Do you boys understand that?”
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Chapter 4 Quotes
Madeleine Joyce was thirteen years old when she met Joseph Brook. She lived in a house that had pillars in the front and a wing on each side and statues on the lawn. Her father and her mother were both lawyers, so she spent a lot of time by herself in that big house when she wasn’t away at her prep school. Sometimes she had a nanny who lived in the north guesthouse, sometimes not.
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She never asked him why his face looked so beat up.
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He was going to be a father, he said.
He was only thirteen, she said again.
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“I’m alone,” he said.
“You’ve got me,” I said.
He laughed, but not a happy laugh. “Jackie, I’m a whole lifetime ahead of you,” he said.
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Chapter 5 Quotes
When my father put his hand on Joseph’s back, Joseph didn’t even flinch.
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Chapter 7 Quotes
Mr. Canton had already come by, so full of himself, my mother said, all about how he knew something like this would happen, and kids who come from Stone Mountain are bound to run off, and it’s not our fault, it’s just that’s who Joseph Brook is.
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“The boy isn’t your brother?” he said.
“I have his back,” I said
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“But he can’t love her just for himself. He has to love her for her, too.”
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Chapter 9 Quotes
“Jackie,” said Jupiter.
“That’s right,” I said. “Jackie.”
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Get the entire Orbiting Jupiter LitChart as a printable PDF.
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Jupiter Character Timeline in Orbiting Jupiter
The timeline below shows where the character Jupiter appears in Orbiting Jupiter. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...business. When Jack says he’s just asking, Joseph pauses a long time and then says, “Jupiter,” explaining that it was “our favorite planet.” Jack clarifies, “Yours and . . .” Joseph...
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Chapter 3
...has a serious expression. He approaches the Hurds and asks them to help him see Jupiter. Then he tells them “everything.”
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Chapter 4
...Madeleine has had the baby. Examining the papers, he learns that his baby is named Jupiter. He cries. Mrs. Stroud gives him a photo of Jupiter even though she’s not supposed...
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...urges Joseph to sign away his parental rights so that a loving family can adopt Jupiter. Joseph insists that he wants to raise Jupiter. Mrs. Stroud points out that he just...
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...escape to. Joseph asks her what she thinks, insinuating that he was trying to see Jupiter. When she insists that a 14-year-old boy can’t be a father, Joseph replies that he...
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...and Jack can hear Rosie the cow mooing lovingly. Jack asks why Joseph can’t see Jupiter, and his parents tell him that 14-year-old Joseph can’t be a father and that meeting...
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Chapter 5
...gold angel for Joseph to commemorate his first Christmas with the Hurds. Joseph comments that Jupiter would love it. After dinner, Mrs. Hurd prepares the boys to attend First Congregational. When...
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Chapter 6
...dinner, the phone rings, and everyone gets serious: they’ve been waiting to hear news of Jupiter. But when Mrs. Hurd answers the phone, it’s Mr. Brook. After a testy conversation, Mrs....
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...on Joseph’s behalf, and he won’t until Madeleine’s parents pay him off. Madeleine’s parents want Jupiter adopted so they can get closure, but no prospective parents will attempt a contested adoption.
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...next day, Joseph and Jack are happy, anticipating that the Hurds will help Joseph see Jupiter and attend college. But more days pass without any officials agreeing to let Joseph see...
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...Jack in the barn, Jack asks whether Mrs. Stroud told him anything. Joseph replies that Jupiter is in Brunswick. He asks Jack whether Brunswick is south of Eastham. Jack says yes...
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Chapter 7
...the evening, Jack goes to his bedroom and looks out the window but can’t see Jupiter. He wonders whether Joseph knows that he’ll never get Madeleine or Jupiter back. He speculates...
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...why Joseph came to Brunswick. When Jack explains that Joseph is looking for his daughter Jupiter, the librarian—clearly startled—asks whether Joseph is Jupiter’s father, remarking that Joseph is “just a baby...
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Jack, realizing that the librarian knows where Jupiter is, begs her to let Joseph see his daughter. The librarian asks who Jack is,...
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Jack asks whether the librarian is Jupiter’s foster mother. She asks Jack to tell Joseph that Jupiter is well but needs a...
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...phone rings. She answers it, asks someone to describe “him,” and then identifies “him” as Jupiter’s father. When she hangs up, Jack asks whether Joseph is at her house. She says...
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...looking for Joseph, Joseph smiles, gets in the car, and shows Jack the photo of Jupiter. The librarian drives the boys to where Jack parted from his parents: Mr. Hurd and...
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The librarian hugs Joseph, too. She tells him that he looks like Jupiter and has her “determined” personality. When the librarian says that her family is taking excellent...
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Chapter 8
...likely to say about him. Yet the librarian does write to Joseph every week about Jupiter, and Jack no longer hears Joseph crying out in his sleep. Joseph doesn’t have to...
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...takes Joseph and Jack out to tap trees for maple syrup. When Joseph mentions that Jupiter would love doing this one day, Mr. Hurd pauses and then agrees. Later that night,...
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...yells, “You sold her!” Mr. Brook retorts that Joseph was never going to have her (Jupiter) and that “we needed a new truck.” Joseph tries to rush Mr. Brook, but Mr....
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Chapter 9
On Joseph’s 16th birthday, Mrs. Stroud drives Jupiter to the Hurds’ farm. She takes Jupiter out, and Jupiter, dark-haired and dark-eyed, smiles as...
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