Lily would learn some things. Mostly she would learn Sophie. They would know each other forward and backward. They would run side by side like subway tracks, inbound and outbound. Coextensive.
-- Narrator (“Inbound” paragraph 74)

Importance: During a visit to Harvard, the university her parents attended, Sophie realized that her younger sister, who had Down’s Syndrome, would be dependent on Sophie for care when the two get older and their parents were no longer able to care for her.

A multitude of nations: what a vainglorious idea. No wonder we are always in trouble. How about a few good-enough places? he said silently to the priest, to the Christ, to the God rustling in his ear. How about a people that takes care of its children, even those springing from unexalted seed …
-- Narrator (“Day of Awe” paragraph 103)

Importance: Robert Katz, a Jew, realized how unrealistic the idea of being a father of many nations was in one's life. He thought...