How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #1
At first it seemed utterly impossible to her; but then she thought of how desolate and lonesome everything was here and of what a comfortable companion Rosie might be on dark evenings and during the long winter nights. (1.2.8.13)
Beret can't imagine how she'll cope with living on the vast, open prairies. Her best hope for companionship at this point seems to be Rosie the cow, since her husband and sons will no doubt spend every waking moment working the land.
Quote #2
"You can spend the whole evening there, you know, visiting and talking. It'll make the time pass quicker, and you won't be so lonesome." (1.2.9.4)
Per Hansa isn't dumb. He knows that living on the prairie will be tough for Beret, so he suggests that she spend as much time as possible visiting with their neighbors. But Beret isn't satisfied. She wants to hang out with her family and move back to Norway because she misses her parents. Even though the isolation hurts her, she becomes more and more of a loner as the book unfolds.
Quote #3
She realized, too, how lonesome it must be for Beret, to sleep over there in the wagon with only the children. (1.2.9.13)
The women in this book understand loneliness much more than the men. In this instance, Sörine sees Beret sleeping in a wagon and feels sorry for her because she knows how hard life can be with no one to talk to. And it's not like Beret plans on talking to her young sons about her feelings.