How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"How long has it been in your family?"
"Since the gold-rush days," Laurel's mom said. "My great-some-odd-grandfather claimed the land and built the first cabin there. Never found gold, though. Everyone in my family has lived there at one time or another ever since." (7.30-31)
Laurel's mom's family has some serious history going on with that piece of land. Since the Gold Rush happened in the mid-1800s or so, that means Laurel's family has been on the land for over a century. That's a long time by human standards, especially if you're an American. We don't know much about the specifics of faerie lifespans, but it might be a long time for them too, we're not sure.
Quote #2
"We were really hippies back then […] I used to take that guitar to sit-ins. I'd play 'We Shall Not Be Moved' terribly off-key and everyone would bellow along. Remember that?"
Her dad smiled and shook his head. "The good ol' days," he said sarcastically. (8.7-8)
Laurel's mom and dad reminisce about being hippies back in the day, even though from Laurel's perspective they're still pretty hippie now. When they were both at Berkeley they'd go to protests and do hippie stuff like that. Not that life in Berkeley has changed significantly, since there are still tons of protests and hippies hanging out. But it's interesting that Laurel's dad remembers the past a bit less nostalgically than Laurel's mom.
Quote #3
"You don't know me, do you?" he asked. She was slow to answer. She felt like she did know him. There was a memory there, at the edge of her mind, but the harder she reached for it, the faster it slipped away. (8.31-32)
When Tamani and Laurel meet for the first time—well, the first time from her perspective—she feels like she sort of knows him. But since she doesn't have any memories of her faerie life, and at this point she doesn't even know she's a faerie, it could just be a really strong sense of déjà vu for all she knows. You just keep telling yourself that, Laurel.