" Waiting for water. Here for hours at a time. And everyday for five long months, until the rains came and she and her family could return home. " Inference explanation: This means that Nya and her family went to the pond (old home) when it was raining and Nya and her family only went to the big lake when there was no water in their pond.
Salva: Loc. Chapter 5, page 29
Inference: "The boy was still looking at him. 'Your family?' he asked. Salva shook his head. 'Me too' the boy said. He sighed, and Salva heard that sigh all the way to his heart.
Inference: This means that Salva knows how the boy feels without his family around him. Salva can understand the boy's feelings because he was been through it before.
When using the active voice, the subject comes before the verb with the action (Samantha returned). Passive sentences have a noun with the action being done TO them (cake was made, buildings were built, coach was pushed)