How we cite our quotes: Chapter.paragraph
Quote #7
Sometimes I think I'll never get used to the dirt streets here. I miss the cobblestones of Cefalu. But at least the dirt lies flat tonight. (6.60)
Do you think the streets works as a metaphor for the difference between how Calo gets treated in Cefalu compared to Tallulah? In Tallulah, the streets are dirt and Calo gets treated like dirt too… but in Cefalu, the streets were clean and smooth, which is pretty much how Calo was treated as well.
Quote #8
Goats wander through, nibbling at our pant legs. No one pays them any mind. In Sicily, goats run free, too, but they aren't allowed in church. (7.9)
This explains Francesco's stubbornness about his goats' right to roam—and it also helps us envision what this place is like and what Sicily must have been like, too.
Quote #9
Nothing to look at but the river itself. I've always loved water and swimming. From the hilltop where the cathedral stands in Cefalu, you can watch the sea. The river is different from the sea. No waves, no tides. But it calms me, all the same. (8.5)
The link Calo makes between these places helps to ground him. He feels more comfortable now seeing something familiar in a place where so much is brand new.