How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
I thought about how my mother and sisters remembered my father, how they knew his face from every angle and held in their fingers the feel of his hands. I had no such memories to cry over. I'd been born eight months after he'd died. Worse, he had no memories of me. (1.6)
Kim really wishes she had some memories of her dad. In fact, it sounds like she feels jealous of all the memories that her mom and sis have. Check out how Kim describes her mom's and sisters' memories as physical, as if they are "held in their fingers." Do other characters think of memories in a physical way?
Quote #2
My phone doesn't ring much, which suits me fine. That's how I got the news about our boy, shot dead like a dog in the street. And the world, last year, about my wife's car wreck. I can't hear a phone and not jerk inside. When Ana called I was still asleep. Phone calls that wake me up are the worst. (3.1)
For Wendell, memory is a totally physical thing. Every time a phone rings, he remembers the news that his son and wife have died. What does it tell us about memory that Wendell feels a "jerk inside"? What does he mean by that?
Quote #3
He couldn't read the words on the seed packets, but he knew from the pictures what seeds were inside. He poured them into his hand and smiled. He seemed to recognize them, like old friends. (4.9)
Gonzalo's great uncle, Tío Juan, definitely has some gardening memories. The thing is, Tío Juan isn't telling the story, so we don't get to hear all about these recollections. So Gonzalo takes his best guess about these memories, saying it's as if the seeds are "old friends." Pretty sweet, if you ask us.