Inside Out & Back Again Language and Communication Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Part.Poem.Stanza)

Quote #7

All day
I practice
squeezing hisses
through my teeth. (3.3.3)

This might feel to Hà like rolling Rs does to some English speakers: hard and sloppy.

Quote #8

I'm getting better
at hissing,
no longer spitting
on my forearms. (3.6.)

Progress in learning a language is slow and steady, with tiny steps in the right direction each day. How long will it take Hà to learn enough English to try it out in public?

Language and Communication

Quote #9

As soon as we have an address
Mother writes
all the way to the north […] (3.8.1)

War has prevented Hà's family from communicating for years, but never took away the longing to connect.