How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I wondered if my mama, wherever she was, had a tree full of bottles; and I wondered if I was a ghost to her, the same way she sometimes seemed like a ghost to me. (14.44)
It's hard to imagine any mother leaving her child without thinking of her over and over. But the important thing here is that Opal is able to stop wondering and move on with her life, thanks to Gloria Dump's mistake tree.
Quote #8
I wanted to hear the rest of the story. It was important to me to hear how Littmus survived after losing everything he loved. (16.30)
How did he do it? He found sweetness in the suffering, that's how. And guess what? Opal is going to learn the same lesson.
Quote #9
I thought about my mama. Thinking about her was the same as the hole you keep on feeling with your tongue after you lose a tooth. (19.32)
Again, the empty feeling. And like a lost tooth, the space will remain empty until a new tooth grows in. When Opal finally comes to peace with her daddy, it's as if a new tooth is starting to grow (or the tooth fairy left her a motherload of moolah. Not that we're saying money can fill holes. But, you know, sometimes it can fill holes).