She believed, of course ... because without something to believe in, life would be intolerable.

Happiness is making the most of what you have, and riches is making the most of what you've got.

Grief was like a terrible burden, but at least you could lay it down by the side of the road and walk away from it. Antonia had come only a few paces, but already she could turn and look back and not weep. It wasn't anything to do with forgetting. It was just accepting. Nothing was ever so bad once you had accepted it.

Life is so extraordinary. Wonderful surprises are just around the most unexpected corners.

It was good, and nothing good is truly lost. It stays part of a person, becomes part of their character. So part of you goes everywhere with me. And part of me is yours, forever

It was better not to get too close to another person. The closer you got, the more likely you were to get hurt.

Writing is work, but it's also a compulsion, and once you get your characters on paper, you can't abandon them. You have to respond to them.