“But I have never forgotten what he said—that this was a fair land, the fairest of them all.”

Mary Call fears being forgotten; she fears that God and the world will ignore her family, her people, and her land. The book opens with a stranger stating that the area is the fairest in the world, and the authors uses fairy-tale language of “fairest of them all” to invoke a sense of folk legend. This recognition by others of both her existence and her home fulfill Mary Call, legitimizing rural folk and the grandeur of their landscape.

“Now he’s old and sick and ready to die and when he does, this is what we’ll inherit—his defeat and all that goes with it.”

This quote characterizes Mary Call’s ability to be blunt, damning, and no-nonsense. Her character does not mince words, and she has no room for sentimental or empty speech. While she is loyal to her father, she sees him as the antithesis to how she wants to live her life; she views his life as a failure.

“Romey’s hunger for things we don’t have never leaves him.”

This quote examines Romey’s character and offers a juxtaposition between Romey’s role in the family and Mary Call’s. While Romey has the freedom to openly express his emotions, desires, frustrations, and confusion—and chooses to do so—Mary Call is unable to communicate her feelings and doubts to her family. She has to be the strong one, dampening her hunger in order to take care of the family.