1. "But I stayed in school.  I was not the smartest or even particularly outstanding but I was there and staying out of trouble and I intended to finish."

p. 3

Taylor explains how she got through school.

2. "Turtle's main goal in life, other than hanging on to things, seemed to be to pass unnoticed."

p. 81.

Taylor describes Turtle before she begins to thrive

3. "I feel like the only reason I have any friends at all is because I'm always careful not to say something totally dumb, and if I blow it just one time, then that's it."

p. 89

Lou Ann lacks self-confidence.

4. "I could just imagine a conversation between these two: 'Sciatica, hives, roseola, meningomalacia,' Mrs. Ruiz would say in her accented English.  'Corns, 'tato, bean,' Turtle would reply."

p. 105

Taylor imagines a conversation between a woman whose only English vocabulary is diseases, and Turtle, who only says the names of vegetables.

5. "You can go and visit heaven.  What?  You see a room just like the first one, the same table, the same pot of stew, the same spoons as long as a sponge mop.  But these people are all happy and fat."

p. 113

Estevan explains that in hell people do not help one another, but in heaven they do.

6. "Her favorite book was a Burpee's catalogue from Mattie's, which was now required reading every night before she would go to bed. The plot got old, in my opinion, but she was crazy about all the characters."

p. 120

Turtle is very interested in vegetables.

7. "There was a cactus with bushy arms and a coat of yellow spines as thick as fur.  A bird had built her nest in it.  In and out she flew among the horrible spiny branches, never once hesitating.  You just couldn't imagine how she'd made a home in there."

p. 130

Taylor compares the bird to Turtle, who has managed to thrive despite her inhospitable environment.

8. "There seemed to be no end of to the things that could be hiding, waiting it out, right where you thought you could see it all."

p. 172

Taylor is amazed at the life in the desert.

9. "Starting right now, you've only got one Ma in the whole world.  You know who that is?"

p. 238.

Taylor explains to Turtle that she has been adopted.

10. "And me.  I was the main ingredient."

p. 246

Turtle sings a song about vegetables and the people she loves, especially Taylor.