He is here, with her, out of love. He cannot imagine her getting through this trial without him at her side.”
-- Narrator (chapter 1 paragraph 20)

Importance: The quote demonstrates John's dedication to his mother Elizabeth.

She inhabits her characters as a woman does, not a man.”
-- Susan Mobeus (chapter 1 paragraph 135)

Importance: The quote gives perspective about how an author's gender may hold influence over their ability to write characters of a different sex.

She is not sure, as she listens to her own voice, whether she believes any longer in what she is saying.”
-- Narrator (chapter 2 paragraph 18)

Importance: This quote shows how Elizabeth is becoming more aware of her indecision and inability to commit to a position.

A French or English writer has thousands of years of written tradition behind him…We on the other hand are heirs to an oral tradition.’”
-- Emmanuel Egudu (chapter 22 paragraph 39)

Importance: The quote indicates the responsibility that Egudu feels to communicate his voice and the experiences of his homeland in a tradition that...