How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
It was hard to think of Caleb as beautiful. It took three whole days for me to love him, sitting in the chair by the fire, Papa washing up the supper dishes, Caleb's tiny hand brushing my cheek. and a smile. It was the smile, I know. (1.24)
Because their mother dies after giving birth to Caleb, it takes Anna a while to actually love the baby. She feels like there's been an unfair trade for a while—like maybe she'd rather keep her mother instead of this brother.
Quote #2
"A scallop," she told us, picking up the shells one by one," a sea clam, an oyster, a razor clam. And a conch shell. If you put it to your ear you can hear the sea." She put it to Caleb's ear, then mine. Papa listened, too. Then Sarah listened once more, with a look so sad and far away that Caleb leaned against me.
"At least Sarah can hear the sea," he whispered. (4.3-4)
From the beginning, it's easy to see what Sarah will miss the most if she moves in with the Witting family. She carries memories of the sea around with her everywhere; it's obviously one of the great loves of her life.
Quote #3
"I wish I could touch a seal right now," said Caleb, his voice soft in the night.
"So do I," said Sarah. She sighed, then she began to sing the summer song again. Far off in a field, a meadowlark sang, too. (4.44-45)
Even the mention of the sea and her old life makes Sarah melancholy. Even the kids can tell how much she longs for the ocean—and how conflicted she is when she's trying to make up her mind about living here.
Quote #4
"You are lonely, yes?" asked Maggie in her soft voice.
Sarah's eyes filled with tears. Slowly I stirred the the dough.
Maggie reached over and took Sarah's hand.
"I miss the hills of Tennessee sometimes," she said. (7.11-14)
Maggie and Sarah have both had to give up places they love—and the lives they lived there—in order to get married and move to the prairie. Even with time, it isn't easy to think about their old homes.
Quote #5
"I miss my brother William," said Sarah. "But he is married. The house is hers now. Not mine any longer. There are three old aunts who squawk together like crows at dawn. I miss them, too." (7.19)
In gaining a new family with the Wittings, Sarah has to give up the one she grew up with—including her brother and all those silly old aunts. It's a difficult trade, but it's one that she agrees to in the end.
Quote #6
"There are always things to miss," said Maggie. "No matter where you are." (7.20)
Maggie reminds Sarah that the transition to living on the prairie with a new family isn't a simple one. She'll always miss her hometown in some ways, but she'll also come to love this new home.
Quote #7
Sarah smiled. "I had a garden in Maine with dahlias and columbine. And nasturtiums the color of the sun when it sets. I don't know if nasturtiums would grow here."
"Try," said Maggie. "You must have a garden." (7.28-29)
When Maggie gives Sarah new plants, she's also trying to remind her new friend that she doesn't have to give up everything when she comes here. She can also start something new—like a fledgling garden, with favorite flowers from home.
Quote #8
"Today? Can we begin today?" asked Sarah.
"Tomorrow is best," said Papa, looking worried. "I have to fix the house roof. A portion of it is loose. And there's a storm coming." (8.18-19)
Sarah wants to learn how to drive the wagon right away, but being a part of a family sometimes means compromise. Jacob promises that he'll teach her tomorrow… as long as they finish fixing the roof.
Quote #9
"We thought you might be thinking of leaving us," I told her. "Because you miss the sea."
Sarah smiled.
"No," she said. "I will always miss my old home, but the truth of it is I would miss you more." (9.50-51)
Sarah misses the ocean, but she knows that she values the new family she's made more. Even though she'll be giving up her old family and home, she's willing to make this sacrifice for Jacob, Anna, and Caleb.
Quote #10
Soon there will be a wedding. Papa says that when the preacher asks if he will have Sarah for his wife, he will answer, "Ayuh." (9.61)
Although Jacob isn't a big talker, he can see how much Sarah is giving up in order to marry him. So he likes to remind her in small ways that he knows where she comes from—and that he'll incorporate elements from her old home (like the word "ayuh") in the new life that they build together.