--She had done her best after his parents had absconded into their poverty.

2. Eleven years ago that tenacious little baby with her terrible troubles and fierce needs had saved her mother from dying of love.

--Eleven years ago that tenacious little baby with her terrible troubles and fierce needs had saved her mother from dying of love.

3. Building a widow's walk to sit atop her newest playhouse was taking all her concentration.

-- Building a widow's walk to sit atop her newest playhouse was taking all her concentration.

4. She wasn't the chicken-soup type.

-- She wasn't the type that was easy to see through at a glance. (Chicken soup is clear and smells good at first sniff; here it's a metaphor for being easy to see through)

5.This could be the International Dolphin Council wanting to throw you research money, and you'd scare them right off .

-This could be the International Dolphin Council wanting to throw you research money, and you'd scare them/them right off. (Note: Without context, it's not clear what they refers to)

6. More wrong with her than right.

--She's more wrong than right.

7. She knew well about longing for absent people.

--She knew well that she particularly wished for absent people. (Note: The logical subject of longing for is the sentence subject she)

8. That's what he got for naming his boat after the goddess of love. He had purchased it when he and she were first He had purchased it when he and she were first married.

-That's what he got for naming his boat after the goddess of love. He had purchased it when he and she were first married.