"The bones of the earth, old people call them." page 1

"He may not have been very happy, but he certainly wasn't unhappy either." page 27

"Colored girls, Willie," Annie said, "they are sinfully careless." page 48

"Suit yourself." he said. page 48

"A big heavy bald man, smeared like an Indian, his blue eyes buried in the black smear of his face." page 70

"She wrapped her arms tight around her middle to keep herself together, and her ribs quivered and shook under her fingers." page 85

"He stopped for a minute and thought about them, the way he hadn't for years." page 131

"All we ever saw was the tangle of moving bodies." page 169

"I look at my children now and think: how long before they slip away, before I am disappointed in them..." page 182

"I was shocked at how hard he worked." page 201

"Love 'em dearly," he said. page 211

"But respect now...