Seemed like death had a mind to follow her around in this lifetime.
-- Narrator ("Shelby County")

Importance: This quote, speaking about Geneva, speaks to the lesser theme in the novel of fatalism. Geneva believes that, as death had been such a prominent part of her life in recent years, she is doomed to suffer death for the rest of her existence as a matter of predetermined fact. The fact that this quote appears so early in the novel lays the groundwork for Darren's struggle to find justice in the face of death, and also foreshadows the revelation of her husband's killer.

The Lord hadn’t made a soul Geneva wouldn’t feed.
-- Narrator ("Shelby County")

Importance: Despite Geneva's exterior gruffness to those she does not know, such as Darren, she remains a generous person who not only is a good cook but a compassionate giver as well. This quote is important because the reader does not readily see...