"I wasn't surprised when Mama asked me to save her life. By the first week in kindergarten, I knew she was no macaroni-necklace-wearing kind of mother." (Part 1: Chapter 1, p. 4).

"Telling my little sister the truth seemed as mean as hitting her, but I couldn't imagine what lie to tell." (Part 1: Chapter 2, p. 19).

"Lulu said Daddy did it because Mama dated bad men. Mimi Rubee said the booze and pills made Daddy do it. Aunt Cilla said Daddy killed Mama because of him being an animal. I didn't know what to believe." (Part 1: Chapter 5, p. 43).

"Grandma's funeral felt like being in The Addams Family, except instead of Cousin Itt and Thin, Grandma's friends were the creepy ones." (Part 1: Chapter 9, p. 74).

"I'd hated her for yelling, for sending me to the store, for not making supper, for not being soft and understanding. For not knowing that I existed until she...