I would have spoken, had my heart not been in my throat

So I forcibly shove aside my prickles of pissed-off, which is easier than it sounds when millions of little sequined caffeine dancers are doing their big Broadway number on your internal stage. (Page 173)

No, Mom. I said fine." "It's just your tone." Ah, yes- the tone. The nasty traitor.

Hope could be the most powerful thing or the most useless.

Because words were hills and valleys you traveled, so lovely sometimes that they hurt your eyes.

At the root of every large struggle in life is the need to be honest about something that we do not feel we can be honest about. We lie to ourselves or other people because the truth might require action on our part, and action requires courage. We say we “don’t know” what is wrong, when we do know what is wrong; we just wish we didn’t. Art lets us tell the truth, but even art can be something to hide behind.

You look so good," I say, and s***! Oh god, that's not what I meant. S***! "It looks good. The book.