If there's anything Trollope novels always take seriously, it is money - how it flows from one character to another, how it is managed, who has it, who deserves it, and what it means to a character, male or female.

Whatever you love is beautiful; love comes first, beauty follows. The greater your capacity for love, the more beauty you find in the world.

One of the things that Ivar knew about Mrs. Walker was that she would only tell him what she knew if he asked the right question, so he spent a portion of his time meditating over what he might ask Mrs. Walker and how he might phrase the question.

Not every novel that wants to be a tragedy gets to be one.

In every society, the artists will be the ones who set themselves up as contrary to whatever the society expects.

Before I write a novel, images float around in my head that work like icons - they are meaningless in themselves, but serve as reminders.

Another thing I learned is that novels, even those from apparently distant times and places, remain current and enlightening, and also comforting.