Chapter 13/14 quote

"I keep thinking about Abba and swimming"
page 114
I chose this quote because she is always thinking about water and swimming. I think that for her water is a comfort thing. So when she thinks of her father and water it help her to be a little less worried.

Chapter 18 quote

"And I am an illegal alien."
page 150

I chose this quote because I thought that it was a good thing and a bad thing. It was a good thing because it took a lot of stress off of her. It was a bad thing because she put her family in an awkward situation.

Chapter 15 quote

"But the man who walks into this room is not the Abba I know. Tufts of scraggly black hair spring from his cheeks." page 131

I don't think that Nadira was prepaid to see Abba again. When she thought about him she used to think about how he used to be and never how he was now.

Chapter 12 quote

"I look at her, amazed. She;s American-born. I can tell by her accent and they way she holds herself. I didn't even know you could do something like that. I sure didn't know a girl could do something like that." page 106

Chapter 11 quote

"She leans back on the pillows. "I'm so tired," she sighs.
"So very tired."" page 103

Chapter 10 quote

"We wait. For a long time. Officers go back and forth in in the corridor, folders tucked beneath their arms. We drink coffee and sip Cokes from the machine until our hands jump and twitch. The fluorescent bulbs buzz overhead." page 85

Chapter 7 and 8 quote

"She slaps the covers. "Come on fatso lets go.""
page 59
I thought that Aisha was being extremely mean. She knew tat her sister is insecure about her weight and that is not a very niec thing to say ever especially first thing in the morning.

Chapter 9 quote

""Maybe. But there's a saying: 'Because we looked away in the past, does that mean we can look away now?'"

Chapter 6 quote

""This house is being run by women," he grumbles in that sour-mouth way of his. "Daughters are not daughters, and wives don't act like wives." page 43
I think that the uncle needs to be kinder to his family. If he moved here to have a better life then he should try to be accepting of the American culture.

Chapter 5 quote

"I remember when I was little, crouching in the corner of the playground and hearing a group of girls chant: Ask me no questions. Tell me now lies. That's that policy at school. Ask me no questions, we say silently. And the teachers don't." page 29

Chapter 4 quote

""So we have to stick together. Not fight."
She holds out her hand as a peace offering. I look at her slender wrist, her single bangle glinting against the bone. No way am I sticking together with Aisha. What that really means is I'm supposed to do whatever she says, and then she gets all the credit. "Forget it," I reply, and then I shove a spoonful of Jello-O in my mouth, get up, and head to the buffet for more." page 28
I think that Nadira should stop being so worried that her sister will take all the credit and just stop fighting with her. It will make both of their lives a lot easier.

Chapter 3 quote

"You're only little, but you know it's there: that feeling that your never know that terror will pulse from the ground." page 22

Chapter 2 quote

"Abba is squeezing the steering wheel, open-shut, open-shut, just like the massage exercises he did after he got hurt on his construction job. He's hunched over, still as a rock, as if he can't make hi self move.
"Sir?"
Still Abba doesn't answer.
"Sir, if you could just turn the car around that way?"
Slowly, Abba puts the care into reverse." page 14

I think it it very sad that they had to turn back. They didn't plan for this to happen. It seems like Abba went into shock.

Chapter 1 quote

"Its hard to have a sister who is perfect." page 3.
I have an older brother and i feel like he is the perfect one sometimes. He seems to be more how my parents want me to be. He's more religious then I am and he wants to live in Israel. He seems to say the right things more then I do.