"Daddy must have beaten me a good ten minutes before Mama realized he had lost his senses and came to rescue me." Chap. 1, p. 6

"Before the evening was over, I finally realized that the two boys actually were Ed's brothers. But how Ed got two white brothers worried me." Chap. 2, p. 19

"I wanted to enjoy and preserve that calm, peaceful look on her face, I wanted to think she would always be that happy, so I would never be unhappy again either." Chap. 4, pp. 43-44

"After much persuasion on my part, Mama decided to let me keep the name Annie. I was so glad, I had always thought of Essie as a name suitable for a cow or hog." Chap. 9, p. 93

"I guess all the maids she had had before catered to these little wishes of hers. But I had no intention of doing so, and I had...