I remember Frank lifting me in his arms and pointing the comet out to me, patiently waiting until I was finally able to track it. He was suddenly calm now, my protective uncle again, no longer the frightening stranger who had arrived with such turmoil in the middle of the night while my feverish imagination was conjuring up a raincoat monster in the hallway.”
-- Grad (chapter 1)

Importance: Frank had arrived home drunk, belligerent, and demanding that everyone come outside to see the comet. The fact that he shifts from that mood to the patient, protective uncle is one of the signs of his emotional struggles, likely a result of the years in the war.

But I remember being aware at that moment of a new sensation, a power I hadn't known about before now, the power to declare myself to myself. I even remember, at five years old, watching Big Dan take a...
-- Grady (chapter 3)