How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
They were a family that, simply because they could hire, acquired the direction of other lives. Like the climate and the altitude, they were an arm of destiny. (4.9.4)
Over the course of their adventures, the Ward family grows to include the many people who are hired to help around the house. You know who we're talking about: Pricey, Frank, Charley Wan, and the rest of the gang. They might not be related by blood, but there's no disputing the tight bond that holds them together.
Quote #5
My mother died when I was two, my father was a silent and difficult man: I grew up my grandparents' child. (5.1.1)
Talk about burying the lede, Lyman: this insight explains a ton about the nature of his relationship with his family. Additionally, it also helps us understand why he is putting so much effort into this book about his grandparents.
Quote #6
The impatience she created in him troubled her [...] For her own sake and the children's sake and for his sake she had to be sensible. (6.2.67)
Susan and Oliver's marriage is far from perfect. Oliver loves his fam more than anything, which sometimes leads him to take foolish risks in attempts to build better lives for them. Susan, on the other hand, knows that this mindset will only lead to more hardships for the whole Ward clan. It's a sticky situation.