Our stories are the tellers of us.

However long the moon disappears, someday it must shine again.

If your face is swollen from the severe beatings of life, smile and pretend to be a fat man.

Life is extremely short and you cannot dance to current affairs.

I think the recent cluster of WWII novels is so good because we have reached an optimal distance from the war. Just as a lens has its focal length, the novel also has its best distance from the action.

Our own personal brand of courage - in relationships, in conflict, in our principles ­ - is as unique as our fingerprints.

I'm always determined that as a novelist I'm going to go out there and research my characters very thoroughly before I start writing.