“Each piece told its own tale of discovery, of being lost and found in a time of hardship and fear. Finally together now, we were all being reborn.” 

William is about to turn on the windmill when he observes this. This quote represents the way that his study of science brought his village out of an age of superstition and fear of magic, and into the light provided by scientific progress. It also suggests the usefulness of those parts he salvaged to build something new.

“Before I discovered the miracles of science, magic ruled the world.” 

When William writes this, he establishes one of the main themes of the book—that of magic versus science. Magic was the foundation of knowledge for the people in his village, whether they believed in God or wizards. When he brings science into their lives, it’s not with the help of spells or prayers. In this one sentence, William provides readers with insight into the impact the transition from magic to science had on his character and his village.

“Children everywhere have similar ways of entertaining themselves. If you look at it this way, the world isn’t so big.”

William writes this to connect his childhood with the childhood of readers around the world. This quote helps to undermine the idea of Otherness so often attached to African societies, which is a failure to empathize with someone because they come from another culture. The specificity of it—the way children entertain themselves—prevents this quote from overlooking diversity.