How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"He's strong," Garikayi announced, as the baby squalled and kicked. The old man obviously wanted to hold it, but Tendai knew that would go against custom. No one but the mother and midwives could touch it for several days. (22.16)
We love tradition as much as the next guy, but we think a dad should be able to hold his baby when it's born. Poor Garikayi. All he wants to do is touch his new baby boy, but the rules say he can't. In Resthaven, it doesn't matter whether you want to do something or not; tradition is king.
Quote #8
She burst into sobs. He rocked her back and forth as she wept. He knew this wasn't how a traditional brother treated his sister, but he was thoroughly sick of village ways. (22.54)
Tendai's not the only one getting sick of life in Resthaven—Rita has been treated far worse the whole time. He finally realizes that not all traditions are helpful to them. Sure, he wants to be respectful of ancient traditions, but some things are just wrong. Like, say, killing a baby girl just because she's a twin.
Quote #9
They were greatly curious about English customs, and Rita pointed out that they could get Scout badges in anthropology if they took notes. (28.27)
The Mellower's mom might not use potion to weed out witches (thank goodness), but she practices a lot of similar customs to the ones in Resthaven. She has a tribe (a.k.a. friends) who come over and chat with her about the latest trends and pass judgment on people who don't follow them. Sounds a lot like Resthaven in some ways, right?