To be honest, the only thing I ever really wanted to be was a writer - since I read 'Charlotte's Web' as a child.

Winning doesn't mean my book is better than anyone else's. It means I'm very fortunate. And I should be very, very aware of that. And grateful.

Things are strongest where they're broken.

No good ever comes from putting up walls. What people mistake for safety is in fact captivity. And few things thrive in captivity.

The women in the room chatted about love, about childhood, about losing parents, about Mr. Spock, about good books they'd read. They mothered each other.

But, like peace, comfort didn't come from hiding away or running away. Comfort first demanded courage.

A good novel is a good novel, pointe finale. And I think what I'm writing is exactly that.