I forbade myself to think I was too late and focused all my strength on moving toward home.
-- Lavinia (Prologue paragraph 1)

Importance: This quote shows not only that something bad has happened that will profoundly impact Lavinia’s life, but that she still thinks of Tall Oaks as home despite all that has happened to her.

In that spring of 1791, I did not understand that the trauma of loss had taken my memory.
-- Lavinia (Chapter 1 paragraph 1)

Importance: This quote is the first of Chapter 1. It alerts the reader that Lavinia has no memory. Something terrible has recently happened to her, relating back to the terrible events in the Prologue. The reader knows now that even though the two events are nineteen years apart, Lavinia is destined to have a hard life.

Because of his great size, I might easily have been frightened by him, but I became enamored.
-- Lavinia (Chapter 3 paragraph 11)

Importance: This quote is Lavinia’s first reaction to Ben, showing...