How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"It's not like the Colonel to lie," he said. "Of course, he's always been a mystery. We don't really know where he's from, or who his folks are." He flushed. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded, Mo," he said quick. (4.26)
In a place like Tupelo Landing, a lot of your identity is tied up in who you're related to and your ancestors, but that's not the case for Mo and the Colonel. They don't know anything about their families—and that's why Mo feels like an outsider.
Quote #2
"You try to figure out your life every time you get close to a birthday, Mo, and you ain't done it yet. I wish you'd leave it alone," he said, slumping against the door. "I'm tired of hearing about it. There's nothing wrong with the people you got." (5.10)
Dale is sick and tired of hearing about Mo's quest for her "real" family and the fact that she's trying to figure out who she is and where she comes from. He thinks that she's just Mo, and that's good enough.
Quote #3
She smiled. "In the existential sense, we all travel alone, don't we?" she said. "At times I feel it like a dull, aching pain, right here," she said, bringing her hand to her heart. "Don't you? Like a child yearning to go home." (12.73)
Miss Lana is definitely messing with Detective Starr when he asks her if she was traveling alone, but in a way she gets at the heart of what it's like to be a human being. She gives him the most philosophical answer possible.