Which of us has not felt that the character we are reading in the printed page is more real than the person standing beside us?

It's a good idea to have your own books with you in a strange place

Farid had brought an invisible guest with him. Fear.

She read and read and read, but she was stuffing herself with the letters on the page like an unhappy child stuffing itself with chocolate. They didn’t taste bad, but she was still unhappy.

Sometimes, when you're so sad you don't know what to do, it helps to be angry.

Read – and be curious. And if somebody says to you: 'Things are this way. You can't change it' - don't believe a word.

This world,' she said. 'Do you really like it?' What a question! Farid never asked himself such things. He was glad to be with Dustfinger again and didn't mind where that was. It's a cruel world, don't you think?' Meggie went on. 'Mo often told me I forget how cruel it is too easily.' With his burned fingers, Farid stroke her fair hair. It shone even in the dark. 'They're all cruel,' he said. 'The world I come from, the world you come from, and this one, too. Maybe the people don't see the cruelty in your world right away, it's better hidden, but it's there all the same.