The skies had no intention of clearing up.
-- Narrator (January)

Importance: At the start of the novel, Oscar is distracted from his family and life by his newfound obsession with watching the Weather Channel. He desperately longs for any forecast of rain because he is worried about his secret property, Happy Crunch Almond Orchard. However, Oscar's attachment to the weather also helps develop the narrative's subtextual tensions and thematic explorations. This line particularly speaks to the weather's symbolic significance, illustrating the ways in which bad weather is a representation of the struggles the Alvarado family will soon face.

How could she have been so selfish, so cruel?
-- Narrator (February)

Importance: Not long after Keila announces her plan to divorce Oscar, her daughters, Claudia, Olivia, and Patricia confront her. She then realizes that her upset over Oscar's detachment may have been selfish. This moment illustrates her newfound awareness that her behavior directly affects her daughters. The moment...