“And it’s right then that I realize that when people say you can’t miss something you’ve never known…Well, that simply isn’t true.”

Delsie’s realization is prompted by seeing Madre Seal return to her pup. The seal represents Delsie’s desire for her mother to return, and this quote touches on the pain that Delsie feels at never having known her mother.

“Grammy’s always saying that when people throw rocks, you can either build walls or bridges. Grammy has always been a bridge builder.”

This quote speaks to two themes: The Importance of Friendship and Family as well as The Importance of Changing Perspective. Grammy excels both at bringing people together and thinking the best of them. Olive can be a difficult person, but Grammy reaches out to her regardless, recognizing that she needs and deserves connection.

“We are all jerks inside. And kind. And smart. We are all thoughtful and inconsiderate. We are all polite and rude. We are all everything.”

Madam Schofield’s assertion that people contain many attributes and capabilities—even contradictory ones—foreshadows much of the novel. For instance, it anticipates Delsie’s musings on having many feelings at once, as well as Tessa’s unexpected gift of the kitten to Delsie at the end of the novel.