How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Our old house with its bolted-down flower pots stood eerily untouched, inside and out. Carlo had let all the plants finish dying, as expected but beyond that he'd made no effort to make the place his own. (17.31)
Carlo's inability to nurture Codi is evinced by his lack of a green thumb. He can't even take care of plants—how is he supposed to take care of human beings? What kind of doctor is he going to make? We wonder.
Quote #8
"How long will Grace last without the river?" I asked.
"Two or three year, maybe. The old orchards will go longer because their roots are deeper." He glanced at me. "You know I have an orchard?"
"No. In Grace?"
"Yep. [...] But the orchard's not mine till I have kids."
"That doesn't seem fair."
"No, it makes sense. When you have a family, you need trees." (18.135-146)
Here we have Loyd seducing Codi with his deep, deep roots. All kidding aside, Loyd's commitment to place is part of what makes him so good for Codi.
Quote #9
"Well," Alice said, apparently remembering it was garden pests we'd agreed to talk about.
"What would you do for the slugs?""I really don't know, I'm not good with plants." I considered the problem for a while. "I think what Hallie used to do was put beer out for them, in little tin cans. The slugs are attracted to it and they fall in, or something. I know that sounds crazy but I'm pretty sure it's right. (25.104-5)
What's so important about slug beer, you ask? Well, aside from the delightful image of a bunch of beer-swilling slugs hanging out in their lederhosen and enjoying a nice, terminal Oktoberfest, there's the point that this exchange marks the fact that Codi is beginning to accept that she doesn't have to just leave her connection to her sister behind now that Hallie is dead. She can't run away from it.