Lalani of the Distant Sea

“Very few men were selected by the menyoro to sail for Isa, where all of life’s good fortunes were said to be, and these men were the strongest, cleverest, or most skilled. The men most likely to survive. But they never did.”

The folly of the Sanlagitans’ tactics is seen in this quote. They assume that Isa can be reached only by tough men. These expeditions fail repeatedly, yet the menyoro continues to send men to their deaths. It is clear that a different approach is necessary, but nobody is ready to take it.

“There’s something not right about the Yuzis. That girl’s got ideas in her head. And the boy’s so useless, he may as well be a girl. A boy who’s afraid of his own feet will never become a man.”

The villagers make this comment about Veyda and Hetsbi. Veyda is a healer who is constantly experimenting with medicinal plants to help her people, yet this gift is rejected because girls aren’t supposed to think in Veyda’s society. Hetsbi is gentle and kind, yet his goodness is rejected in favor of the bullying behavior that is expected of men in their culture.

“Imagine you’re a Sanlagitan. Things are as they’ve always been. You don’t know how your people arrived on this island. All you know is that you are here now.”

This quote speaks to the prejudice apparent in the preceding one. The villagers limit their thinking to what is right in front of them. They don’t speculate about their origins or imagine what their purpose in life might be. Instead, they survive by following traditions that don’t serve them well.

“The menyoro’s only interested in two things—being adored and being obeyed. And it seems you don’t need knowledge for people to do either of those. You just need the right words.”

Veyda offers this observation to Lalani as they talk about how to genuinely help their people. All power is vested in the menyoro. He also arrogates to himself the power to heal, but he doesn’t possess any genuine ability to do so. The only real power he holds is the ability to lie convincingly enough to make people believe him.

“Sometimes you must feel pain […] But when you tire from it, tell yourself: I will be okay. I will survive. Even if you don’t believe it. Eventually, you will. Because it was never a lie to begin with. You will. We all will.”

Lo Yuzi makes this comment to the two girls when they think about their fathers lost at sea. She tries to comfort them by acknowledging life’s challenges and ensuring them that survival means enduring those challenges and finding a way to go on.

“There is a difference between ‘want’ and ‘need.’ You understand. Perhaps the curse of the mindoren is that they have all they need. What is left to do but want?”

Ellseth is explaining his motivation for thievery to Lalani. He is different from his fellow mindoren because he covets what others have, even though he doesn’t need anything. He simply wants things because of greed.

“‘It’s dangerous everywhere,’ Ellseth interrupted. ‘Danger lurks in dark places. Danger lurks in beautiful places. You can never escape it.’”

This quote reinforces Ellseth’s previous statement. Even though he wants to trick Lalani, he is correct. There is danger everywhere. The irony is that Lalani is in great danger while she remains in the same room with Ellseth, but she doesn’t realize it. She will be in even greater danger after she lands on Isa, the island of good fortune.

“This is what life is. There is joy, there is pain. There is good, there is evil. Such is the way of things.”

Mother Nalupai gives this message to Fei Diwata when she creates her as the guardian of the two islands. The creator calmly accepts the dark and light aspects of existence and recognizes that they complement each other. Balance can only be maintained if both are allowed to exist and interact. Many other characters in the novel echo this same belief.

“He was their leader, their healer, the only man on the island who could settle disputes or treat the sick, and this made him very powerful. The menyoro did not marry. The people were his children. He was not a loving father.”

The menyoro’s power comes from people’s willingness to believe in him. He has never succeeded in healing anybody. Veyda is the only truly effective healer, but she must work in secret. This quote describes the menyoro as an abusive parent who is more concerned about holding onto power than helping others.

“The only story she could think of was the one she had just lived. My-Shek. Ellseth. The mountain. The beast. A prick of her thumb, the promise of rain, a small bit of magic. If her mother knew such things could happen, she might believe that anything was possible, including her own survival.”

The novel emphasizes the importance of storytelling as a way to transmit valuable life lessons. Significantly, Lalani’s mother can’t remember any stories from her own childhood. This is an indicator of how much she has succumbed to the mundane mindset of the villagers. This quote suggests that stories can offer hope and inspiration by spurring the imagination.

“‘It was a waking dream,’ her mother continued. ‘All mothers have the same one […] That things would be better for you.’ Another breath. ‘If we want our world to change, we can’t keep walking in circles. Can we?’”

Lalani’s mother has already succumbed to mender’s disease and lapses in and out of consciousness. In this lucid moment, she articulates an important truth: Hope for a better future has real value. She also points out that following the same patterns of failure won’t ensure that better future. Cycles of the past must be broken.

“A thousand images flashed through his mind—his final thoughts, he assumed—but one picture that kept appearing again and again was that of Cade looking at him after the fight. I will die a coward, Hetsbi thought. He closed his eyes.”

Hetsbi is sheltering with his family as the mudslide comes down the mountain and engulfs the village. The boy is certain that he will die, and his life flashes before his eyes. At many points in the story, he reproaches himself for his cowardice. His harsh judgment of himself prevents him from moving forward.

“There are creatures here whose souls are as black as the ocean floor, but you are not one of them. You have a kind spirit, but you can be vexed. Certainly you can. Have you killed? Yes. Do you regret it? No. Because it was always to protect your creatures.”

These words are spoken from the perspective of Ditasa-Ulod, the eel woman who protects the Veiled Sea that separates the two islands. Even though she will shortly attempt to drown Lalani, this quote reveals that she does so without malice. She has concluded that humans are dangerous to the survival of ocean creatures and acts accordingly.

“You don’t want to drown the outsiders who try to cross your kingdom, but what choice do you have? You can’t see inside their hearts. If you could, you would wiggle your way in and swim around. Make sure they are worthy.”

Again, Ditasa-Ulod explains her reasons for killing the sailors who try to cross to Isa. This quote sets up a contrast between the eel-woman and Fei Diwata. The latter can see into hearts and knows instantly who is trustworthy and who is not. Her counterpart in the sea doesn’t have this ability, so she errs on the side of caution by killing everyone.

“Veyda said it was all lies. ‘Don’t believe him,’ she said. ‘He only wants to frighten you. Never trust someone who wields power through fear.’”

Kul has just told Lalani a frightening ghost story, but Veyda is wise enough to understand the motivation behind the boy’s words. He rules through fear, just as his father does. While Drum aspires to control all the villagers, Kul is still young and only aspires to frighten younger children with his tall tales. Because of this, he will most likely grow up to be just like his father.

“The goyuk understand something that other creatures do not: The mightiest are often the smallest.”

This quote is the most direct statement of the book’s central theme that smallness can sometimes be of greater advantage than physical bulk. The sorceresses of Isa already possess great power, but they are wise enough to know that an insect form will allow them to kill intruders far more effectively than going into battle against them. A single sting can kill a giant. This is a lesson that the Sanlagitans have yet to learn.

“Even from where I hid, I could see the looks of reverence and respect on their faces. They weren’t the ones who had stolen it, but they felt responsible nonetheless. That’s how the mindoren are—we have a strong sense of loyalty and community. What happens to one happens to all.”

Usoa is telling Lalani about the night when her mother and a few companions tried to bury the stolen bai talon. The girl stresses the importance of community conscience. This behavior contrasts sharply with Ellseth’s actions; he lacked any sense of connection to the rest of the mindoren and acted only for his own selfish benefit.

“We must shape our collective knowledge into one mighty force. A village-wide effort, in which your strengths can overcome your neighbor’s weaknesses, and the other way around.”

Maddux is addressing the villagers in a bid to win the menyoro election. His attitude is entirely new to the people, who are used to following orders from an autocratic leader. Instead, Maddux stresses the importance of interdependence. In this regard, his attitude is much like the mindoren. Maddux is attempting to break out of an old self-defeating paradigm.

“‘This man wants you to lower yourself to the ways of women. Cooperation? Bah! I’ll not force you to your knees.’ He turned to the crowd again. ‘I will force you to rise.’”

This quote contrasts with the preceding one. It is Drum’s address to the same crowd. He wants to follow the tradition of the preceding menyoro by ruling the villagers with an iron hand because he only respects brute strength. His quote reveals how much contempt he has for women because they aren’t bulky and aggressive as men are taught to be. Drum’s way represents the self-defeating pattern of the past.

“It’s amazing how something smaller than a pupil can turn deadly, isn’t it? You should never underestimate the power of small things in great numbers. The blister, the blight, started small, but it grew and grew.”

This quote is spoken from the perspective of Bai-Vinca. She is thinking back to the blighted nut that she carried back to feed her sister. Just as a single goyuk bite can kill in a matter of days, so can a tainted nut. The bai are a powerful species, but they are vulnerable to a blight that is nearly invisible. Her words stress the power of tiny things.

“‘We have many opportunities in life to overcome fear and embrace courage,’ said Taiting. ‘Once we seize the first opportunity, it becomes easier to seize the second.’”

Hetsbi has confided his cowardice to his teacher. He is still reproaching himself for voting for Drum merely because he was afraid to do otherwise. Taiting’s comment reorients Hetsbi toward the future: Hetsbi has remained stuck in the past, reliving each of his failures, but his teacher advises him to look forward to a time when he might act more constructively.

“‘The villagers ridiculed me! They would not accept me with a shell,’ Anya pleaded. ‘Rather than adore your shell, you sought the love of those who ridiculed you.’ The man shook his head. ‘This is a great tragedy.’”

This quote comes from the story that Lalani tells the injured Usoa. The moral of the fable is to value what you are. Anya removed her shell yet was still ostracized by her village. When she finally found others of her kind, they couldn’t accept her either because she had given up her shell. The real tragedy is a lack of self-acceptance.

“‘This is my bow and arrow,’ Fei Diwata said proudly. She kissed the arrowhead and shoved it in place. ‘See? My udyo.’ ‘But how—’ Lalani began. How could such a small thing make such a big difference?”

Once more, the novel stresses how deceptive appearances can be. That which is physically big is often useless, while that which is very small can contain great power. Lalani’s comment indicates just how influenced she has been by her village’s prejudice in favor of big over small.