How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
I looked at the long dirt road that crawled across the plains, remembering the morning that Mama had died, cruel and sunny. They had come for her in a wagon and taken her away to be buried. And then the cousins and aunts and uncles had come and tried to fill up the house. But they couldn't. (1.20)
When Anna and Caleb's mother dies, their house is transformed from a home into a lifeless building. Even when a bunch of people show up to keep them company, they can't replace the warmth and love that made this house a home.
Quote #2
The dogs loved Sarah first. Lottie slept beside her bed, curled in a soft circle, and Nick leaned his face on the covers in the morning, watching for the first sign that Sarah was awake. No one knew where Seal slept. Seal was a roamer. (4.1)
Seal—in classic cat form—makes himself at home in the Witting house right away. And the dogs seem to accept the fact that Sarah is a part of their family and home now, even though she's just arrived. These critters are super adaptable, it seems.
Quote #3
"To pick flowers," said Sarah. "I'll hang some of them upside down and dry them so they'll keep some color. And we can have flowers all winter long."
"I'll come too!" cried Caleb. "Sarah said winter," he said to me. "That means Sarah will stay." (4.7-8)
Sarah's insistence on picking flowers and making the house pretty is definitely a good sign. Caleb and Anna hope this means Sarah wants to stay in their home as their new mother. Fingers crossed…
Quote #4
After dinner, Sarah drew pictures to send home to Maine. She began a charcoal drawing of the fields, rolling like the sea rolled. She drew a sheep whose ears were too big. And she drew a windmill. (5.3)
Sarah still misses her home and her family, so she writes them letters describing the new place she's come to. She even adds drawings of all the interesting things she's seen and experienced.
Quote #5
"There is ice on the windows on winter mornings," I told Sarah. "We can draw sparkling pictures and we can see our breath in the air. Papa builds a warm fire, and we bake hot biscuits and put on hundreds of sweaters. And if the snow is too high, we stay home from school and make snow people." (6.18)
This whole place is new to Sarah, so she has to rely on the Witting family to describe what different seasons are like here. Anna paints a pretty delightful picture of winters. Even though it's cold, they still have a lot of fun—and Sarah can, too, if she stays.
Quote #6
Matthew and Maggie came with their two children and a sackful of chickens. Maggie emptied the sack into the yard and three red banty chickens clucked and scattered.
"They are for you," she told Sarah. "For eating." (7.6-7)
Maggie was just as lonely as Sarah in the beginning, but now she's embraced her new home. She shows up with her family in tow and shows Sarah the ropes, guiding her on how to make this strange place feel like home.
Quote #7
"My garden?" Sarah bent down to touch the plants.
"Zinnias and marigolds and wild feverfew," said Maggie. "You must have a garden. Wherever you are." (7.26-27)
Maggie's been through this before, so she knows that Sarah needs to make her own additions to the farm in order to feel like it's her home, too. She gives her plants so Sarah can start a garden.
Quote #8
Sarah's chickens were not afraid, and they settled like small red bundles in the hay. Papa closed the door at last, shutting out some of the sound of the storm. The barn was eerie and half lighted, like dusk without a lantern. Papa spread blankets around our shoulders and Sarah unpacked a bag of cheese and bread and jam. At the very bottom of the bag were Sarah's shells. (8.36)
Even when they're stuck in a barn, Sarah and the Witting family manage to make things cozy and fun. Sarah sets up a little picnic and even has shells to entertain the kids and to distract them from the storm.
Quote #9
Seal jumped up to the porch, her feet making a small thump. Caleb leaned down and picked her up and walked inside. I took the broom and slowly swept the porch. Then I watered Sarah's plants. Caleb cleaned out the wood stove and carried the ashes to the barn, spilling them so that I had to sweep the porch again. (9.24)
Anna and Caleb take good care for the parts of their home that Sarah has brought—like her garden and her cat. They want to make sure she returns to stay with them for good.
Quote #10
We fed the sheep, and I set the table for dinner. Four plates. The sun dropped low over the west fields. Lottie and Nick stood at the door, wagging their tails, asking for supper. (9.40)
The kids are paranoid that Sarah isn't coming back, but Anna sets a plate at the table for her anyway—because she belongs with them now. They should set aside a portion of dinner for her.