For me Oliver Twist is a political novel. It is a furious critique of the treatment of orphans and poor children who were forced to spend their early lives in ghastly institutions.

You can have more than one home. You can carry your roots with you, and decide where they grow.

Each person searches for the most beautiful jump which will be the final before leaving this world.

They pondered the importance of coffee in silence.

Africa was the most exotic place I could conceive of - the end of the world - and I knew I would go there one day.

I remembered her once saying that life was like your shoes. You couldn't simply expect or imagine that your shoes would fit perfectly. Shoes that pinched your feet were a fact of life.

Police work wouldn't be possible without coffee.