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Later Mother Quote by Téa Obreht

“But he was so young then that later he was only able to remember fragments of what happened next: the lull of the morning fields, the springy cotton flanks of the sheep, the suddenness of the tumble down the deep hole in which he would spend the night, alone, gazing up at the puzzled sheep, and…” quote by Téa Obreht
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““But he was so young then that later he was only able to remember fragments of what happened next: the lull of the morning fields, the springy cotton flanks of the sheep, the suddenness of the tumble down the deep hole in which he would spend the night, alone, gazing up at the puzzled sheep, and hours later, Mother Vera's thoughtful, dawn-lit face hovering over the mouth of the hole.””

Téa Obreht

About This Quote

Source Novel: The Bear and the Nightingale by Téa Obreht, 2017

A child recalls fragmented, vivid memories of a night spent alone in a deep hole, surrounded by sheep and a distant mother’s face.

In simple terms: A scary night in a hole with sheep and a mother’s face.

Key Takeaway

Find strength in recalling small details of trauma.

Themes

memory trauma solitude

Mood

reflective somber

Type

literary psychological

When to use this quote

  • nighttime outdoors
  • survival
  • emotional processing

Key Concepts

fragmented recollection childhood fear

Questions to Reflect On

  • What details help you feel safe?
  • How do you reconstruct traumatic events?
A Different Perspective

Memory can be unreliable and painful.

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