The people who created the crisis in the first place will not be the ones that come up with a solution.

She viewed ethnic cleansing, famine and genocide as direct threats to her furniture.

It was a grand old house, the Ayemenem House, but aloof-looking. As though it had little to do with the people who lived in it. Like an old man with rheumy eyes watching children play, seeing only transience in their shrill elation and their whole-hearted commitment to life.

It's very easy for me to begin to believe the publicity about myself, whether for or against. It can give you an absurd idea of yourself. I know that there's a fine balance between accepting your own power with grace and misusing it. And I don't ever want to portray myself as a representative of the voiceless. I'm scared of that.

Sometimes I think the world is divided into those who have a comfortable relationship with power and those who have a naturally adversarial relationship with power.

Humbling was a nice word, Rahel thought. Humbling along without a care in the world

Many people have accused me of having a romantic view, whereas I personally I feel sorry for those who have lost romance in their lives.