There was no quick grief for Andrew because he had been so slowly lost. First from my heart, then from my mind, and only finally from my life.

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

[My maternal grandmother ] was a teacher in London and elsewhere during the war, although the children she taught were not the "lost children" who feature in the novel - those come from my research.

In my world death will come chasing. In your world it will start whispering in your ear to destroy yourself. I know this because it started whispering to me when I was in the detention center.

It is certainly impossible to imagine forgiving the enemy while their animus remains undefeated.

Sometimes we don't notice that someone is being brave, because they are only doing something that seems quite easy for us.

My paternal grandmother drove ambulances during the regional Blitz, in Birmingham.