Last spring, the war in Europe started winding down, and my mom and I were looking forward to my dad’s homecoming. We’d have our own welcome-home parade, with streamers and cowbells and homemade ice cream…. But when father came back to Kansas, it wasn’t for a parade. It was for a funeral. My mom’s.
-- Jack (Chapter 1 paragraph Page 8)

Importance: This quote captures part of the premise of Jack’s story. Jack has lost his mother unexpectedly. He was very close to her, and throughout the story he suffers with grief and guilt associated with her death.

Last year he [Early] walked out of biology class and never came back. Mr. Nelson said there are no venomous snakes in Maine. Early insisted there are still timber rattlesnakes up north and walked out…. He’s all fire sure about most things. Sometimes he has these weird fits when his eyes go all blank...
-- Sam (Chapter 3 paragraph Page 28)