How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Jody was always amazed at the capability of her great frame and hands when there was trouble" (4.101)
Sure, Ma Baxter is great in an emergency—she'll get that tourniquet on or push your car out of the ditch or do the Heimlich or whatever. It's too bad she's not more skillful at the day-to-day tasks of showing love and affection to her son, though.
Quote #2
"Penny Baxter, no bigger than a dirt-dauber, could outhunt the best of them" (7.15)
Hunting is more about endurance and the ability to outwit the animals than it is about physical strength. (That's why teeny tiny Penny is so good at it.) Honestly, we're surprised that the Forresters manage to shoot anything.
Quote #3
"For the other stock, and for his own family's use, Penny had an ingenious arrangement" (9.43)
When you're stuck in a difficult situation—like getting water out of a sinkhole—you've got to make the best of it, and it sounds like Penny is a real innovative thinker. (Pretty sure he'd have a viral TED talk today.) But seriously, even the most creative sinkhole solution is no substitute for a well. Or indoor plumbing.