The Colonel and Miss Lana are the closest thing to family I've got. WIthout them, I wouldn't have a home.
-- Mo as narrator (chapter 1 paragraph 10)

Importance: This statement from Mo as narrator tells the reader of important relationships, as well as some background information. It's important that the reader understand the dynamics between Mo, the Colonel, and Miss Lana. Their relationships and Mo's position as an adopted child play significant roles in her attitude throughout the ordeal of Mr. Jesse's murder and the investigation.

The lunch crowd is the breakfast crowd shaved and combed, plus the Azalea Women, who call themselves the Uptown Garden Club.
-- Mo as narrator (chapter 1 paragraph 3)

Importance: Mo's description of the cafe's lunch crowd as being the cleaned-up version of the breakfast crowd shows the reader how small of a town Tupelo Landing is. It also shows how the members of the town spend a lot of time together, which is a fact that plays a role in...