Look, kiddo, there are moments when a person has no control over their own life— things happen, that’s all. This is one of those moments.
-- Nidia Vidal (Summer paragraph Page 4)

Importance: Nidia says this to Maya as she puts her on a plane to Chiloé, an exile that could potentially last for years. This quote reflects the novel’s theme regarding fate versus free will. Maya frequently attributes her life’s events to the hands of fate, rather than taking responsibility for the actions that put her in certain situations. But as Nidia points out, control is generally an illusion, and people simply have to deal with events as they come as best they can.

My grandmother would say I’m giving my soul time to catch up to me in Chiloé. She thinks jet travel is not advisable because the soul travels more slowly than the body, falls behind, and sometimes gets lost along...
-- Maya Vidal (Summer paragraph Page 28)