I used to think religion was just more of the same thing. Dump responsibility on the big guy. Now I see an importance in that. It's a relief to accept that not everything is under your control.

You know reviewers, they are the wind in their own sails.

That's how it is: some people are content to wait till you ask, while others jump right in with the whole story.

The loudest sound on earth, she thought, is a man with nothing to do.

It's a great freedom to give up on love, and get on with everything else.

If the Lord hasn't got a boyfriend lined up for me to marry, that's his business.

When the scope of the problem seems insuperable, isn't it time to call this one, give it up, and get on with life as we know it. I do know that answer to that one: that's called child abuse. When my teenager worries that her generation won't be able to fix this problem, I have to admit to her that it won't be up to her generation. It's up to mine. This is a now-or-never kind of project.