The Devil led us to the wrong crib.
-- Mrs. Winterson (chapter 1 paragraph 1)

Importance: The quote appears in the book's opening sentence, clearly establishing Mrs. Winterson's unkind character and religious fervor. It also sets up the unhappy and unloving relationship between mother and daughter. This quote is significant because it indicates how Jeanette's feelings of being unwanted and unloved date back to her childhood and earliest memories. These feelings are not just born from being given up for adoption, they are also the result of feeling unwanted by her new parents. This sentiment, which is often repeated by Mrs. Winterson throughout Jeanette's childhood, shapes her character. It affects her ability to love and to feel at home with her adoptive family. Later, this quote gains even more significance when Jeanette learns that the Wintersons had initially intended to adopt a baby boy. Jeanette feels that the wrong crib is not longer a metaphor and that she...