I found Borne on a sunny gunmetal day when the giant bear Mord came roving near our home.
-- Rachel (What I Found and How I Found It)

Importance: This is an intriguing first line for the book on a number of levels. It is descriptive, describing how the day is gunmetal and sunny, and there is mention of a giant bear, which is unusual. Furthermore, calling the day both "sunny" and "gunmetal" is somewhat contradictory, alluding to a major theme in the novel: how something can be one thing, and seemingly its opposite at the same time, as Borne is both a person and a bioengineered creature.

As with life generally, you never knew, and so you followed, head down in genuflection, hoping Mord would provide.
-- Rachel (What I Found and How I Found It)

Importance: This quote captures the essence of Mord. Rachel views the giant bear as a potential provider because supplies get tangled in his fur and fall to the ground below. This is how Rachel finds...