How we cite our quotes: (Part.Poem.Stanza)
Quote #1
I can't make my brothers
go live elsewhere,
but I can
hide their sandals. (1.3.5)
Big brothers might be hard to live with, but Hà has learned to cope. How? By getting them back by hiding the only shoes they own. A war might be raging nearby, but these kids have a classic sibling relationship.
Quote #2
Father left home
on a navy mission
on this day
nine years ago
when I was almost one. (1.6.1)
What would it be like to never know your father, but to be surrounded by a family who all got to, and who long for his return? Hà seems to long for Father as well, although she never knew life with him in it.
Quote #3
I should side with
my most tolerable brother,
but I love a soft yolk
to dip bread. (1.8.5)
Brother Khoi seems like he's Hà's favorite brother, and being a thoughtful person, she realizes that siding with him would be wise… but she lets her stomach get in the way. Not that we blame her—egg yolks are delicious.