Her voice was slightly accented but her French was perfect. Someone who'd not just learned the language but loved it. And it showed with every syllable. Gamache knew it was impossible to split language from culture. That without one the other withered. To love the language was to respect the culture.

Fear lives in the head. And courage lives in the heart. The job is to get from one to the other.

In winter the very ground seemed to reach up and grab the elderly, yanking them to earth as though hungry for them.

The question that haunted every investigation was 'why'.

What are you afraid of? I'm afraid of not recognizing Paradise.

Myrna could spend happy hours browsing bookcases. She felt if she could just get a good look at a person’s bookcase and their grocery cart, she’d pretty much know who they were.

Let every man shovel out his own snow, and the whole city will be passable," said Gamache. Seeing Beauvoir's puzzled expression he added, "Emerson." "Lake and Palmer?" "Ralph and Waldo.