“Even at the age of fifteen I knew but little about who he was and where he’d come from. And so I knew but little about myself.”

In this quote, Howard narrates the experience of meeting his father’s parents for the first time. Looking back, he realizes how little he understood about himself before learning about his heritage.

“I don’t know what my mother thought. I know she didn’t like to hear about that particular ghost. Too close to home, I suppose.”

In this passage, Howard’s dad is talking about the ghost of an old woman who is often seen near his childhood home. Though Howard doesn’t know this, the ghost is of his great-grandmother, who drowned herself in the river. This quote foreshadows later events and sets the supernatural tone for the story.

“‘Tilly!’ Mama called out to me from the kitchen. ‘Go find Cass.’”

This is the first line of Chapter 2 and introduces Tilly. Immediately, she is tasked by her mother to care for her siblings. This line frames Tilly’s role as the reliable child and shows Mama’s dependence upon her.