Rosa Hubermann was sitting on the edge of the bed with her husband's accordion tied to her chest. Her fingers hovered above the keys. She did not move. She didn't ever appear to be breathing.

If you ever write a book, I can only give you one piece of advice. Don't let your parents get involved.

Five hundred souls. I carried them in my fingers, like suitcases. Or I'd throw them over my shoulder. It was only the the children I carried in my arms.

It felt as though the whole globe was dressed in snow. Like it has pulled it on, the way you pull on a sweater. Next to the train line, footprints were sunken to their shins. Trees wore blankets of ice. As you may expect, someone has died.

One day, Liesel.' he said, 'you'll be dying to kiss me.

You can do all manner of underhanded nice things when you have a caustic reputation.

We expressed love for this dog by ... knowing without showing that we cared for him.