“She's like a Philistine on a Sunday, the way she won't take but so many steps a day. Except every day's Sunday around here.”

“Mother says she doesn't need the medication anymore, that the only cure for cancer is having a daughter who won't cut her hair and wears dresses too high above the knee even on a Sunday, because how knows what tackiness I'd do to myself if she died.”

“The day your child says she hates you, and every child will go through the phase, it kicks like a foot in the stomach.”

“...and that's when I get to wondering, what would happen if I told her she something good, ever day?”

“What you learn today?" I ask even though she ain't in real school, just the pretend kind. Other day, when I ask her, she say, "Pilgrims. They came over and nothing would grow so they ate the Indians."Now knew them Pilgrims didn't eat no Indians. But that ain't the point.”

“Minny,” I say last Sunday, “why Bertrina ask me to pray for her?”Minny say, “Rumor is you got some kind a power prayer, gets better results than just the regular variety.”

“This woman talk like she from so deep in the country she got corn growing in her shoes.”