I see that look in your eyes, my girl,’ she said. ‘Don’t start thinking you can cross me. You’re lucky I put up with you as it is. You’ve no idea how much worse things can be.
-- Mam (Chapter 1 paragraph 11)

Importance: Ada’s mother threatens Ada that she shouldn’t fight back too much against her mother because her mother can make life even more miserable.

You’d think from what I’ve already told you that I was at war with my mother, but my first war, the one I waged that June, was between my brother and me.
-- Ada as Narrator (Chapter 1 paragraph 14)

Importance: In this quote Ada speaks to her reader directly as she explains how she tried to convince her brother to stay in the apartment with her so that she didn’t have to be alone.

Then I did what I should have done to start with. I taught myself to walk...
-- Ada as Narrator (Chapter 1 paragraph 33)