How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I felt a paw on my knee as Bootsie stepped from Grandma's lap to mine. Grandma gave up and uncovered April's little green eyes blinking up at us. "Grandma, you saved them."
She shrugged that off. "I happened to be down in the cobhouse when the sirens went."
That was a whopper. We both knew it. (7.22-24)
Grandma Dowdel always acts tough, but she does care about Mary Alice—and even extends that care to Bootsie and her kitten, April. They've built a little family together in this small town, and she's not going to let them be blown away by a tornado.
Quote #8
"No, I think your grandma's a real interesting person," he said, and our hands brushed. "Everybody—"
"Royce, we're lucky she's not here on this hayframe with us. You must have noticed she rarely misses a party. But let's leave her out of this if we can. The moon's out, and Carleen's in a snit because we're sitting together. Let's just enjoy ourselves and have a hayride." (7.83-84)
Mary Alice is even more charmed by handsome Royce when he remarks that he likes her grandmother—despite all her weird quirks and scary shotgun-wielding behavior. That's when she knows he's a keeper; she can rest assured that he'll be comfortable around the Dowdel family.
Quote #9
She could look at me again now, though her eyes were pink and glistening. "You take the kitten. I'll keep the cat," she said. "You go on home to your folks. It'll be all right. I don't lock my doors." (7.106)
Despite the fact that Grandma Dowdel likes having Mary Alice around (after all, she's in that big old house all by herself), she still sends her granddaughter home to her parents and brother. That's where she really belongs. Sometimes—okay, lots of times—family involves sacrifice.