The Lions Of Little Rock

“I guess I’ve learned it’s not enough to just think things. You have to say them too. Because all the words in the world won’t do much good if they’re just rattling around in your head.” 

On the very first page of the book, Marlee makes this comment. It encapsulates her personal need to express herself, but it also does far more. The segregation in Little Rock schools might have continued if all the integrationists in the community had not articulated their protests. 

“You see, to me, people are like things you drink. Some are like a pot of black coffee, no cream, no sugar. They make me so nervous I start to tremble. Others calm me down enough that I can sort through the words in my head and find something to say.” 

Marlee makes a whimsical comparison between the people in her life and drinks. This quote also reveals her general state of mind. Her chronic anxiety at the thought of speaking causes her to seek out a source of calm. 

“‘I thought you needed a friend.’ She was right. I did. ‘I needed a friend too,’ said Liz. And I suddenly knew what Liz was—a cup of warm milk with a dash of cinnamon.”

This quote is a follow-up to the preceding comment. For several chapters, Marlee can’t quite define Liz’s drink until this moment. The declaration of friendship calms Marlee, and she assigns a soothing drink to Liz’s identity.