How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
We piled up the boxes he'd brought in the back room, and then we stood a moment, a strange sadness in our eyes. This work of destruction jarred with what was in our hearts. (2.7.276)
The boxes that Palomino brings to Mate's apartment are full of weapons and explosives. The "work of destruction" refers to the revolutionary plans to invade the island and overthrow Trujillo, and it clashes with the overwhelming feeling of romantic love that is growing between them.
Quote #5
Next thing I knew, His Kingdom was coming down upon the very roof of that retreat house. Explosion after explosion ripped the air. The house shook to its very foundation. Windows shattered, smoke poured in with a horrible smell. (2.8.106)
Patria understands the violence of the invasion in religious terms, calling the shelling "His Kingdom […] coming down." This refers to the end times predicted in the Bible, when Catholics and other Christians believe that God's Kingdom will come to earth and the bad guys will have hell to pay, literally.
Quote #6
I looked in his face. He was a boy no older than Noris. Maybe that's why I cried out, "Get down, son! Get down!" His eyes found mine just as they shot hit him square in the back. I saw the wonder on his young face as the life drained out of him, and I thought, Oh, my God, he's one of mine! (2.8.111)
The vision of the violent death of the young rebel is, for Patria, a turning point in her life. His being shot in the back makes his murder cowardly; he was already on the run, not attacking his killer. Her ability to see him as her child, as equal to all children, inspires her to join the revolution and seek justice for all the innocent children who have been killed by Trujillo's forces.