"I used the word vulva as a child the way some kids said butt or penis or puke." Part 1: Chapter 1, pg. 9

"No one had bothered to unplug the plastic Christmas candles, so I did: Even in 1975, even just shy of eight, I was an environmentalist concerned with renewable resources. Either that or a cheap Yankee conditioned to turn off the lights when they weren't needed." Part 1: Chapter 1, pg. 18

"Most of the time, labor is like going for a ride in the country. Nothing unusual will occur. But sometimes—sometimes—you'll hit that patch of black ice and skid off the road, or a dump truck will lose control and skid into you." Part 1: Chapter 2, pg. 19

"My mother was a full-fledged, honest-to-God, no-holds-barred, Liberation News Service, peace-love-and-tye-dye hippie. This was no small accomplishment, since she grew up in a small village in northern Vermont. Villages like Reddington...