The greatest gift a parent can leave a child is that parent's own independence.

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

It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive. Arrival often brings nothing but a sense of desolation and disappointment.

She put out her hand and touched his forearm, as she would have touched some piece of porcelain or sculpture, just for the sheer animal pleasure of feeling its shape and curve beneath her fingertips.

Grief is a funny thing because you don't have to carry it with you for the rest of your life. After a bit you set it down by the roadside and walk on and leave it.

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

I'm getting too elderly to travel the length of the country for a free hangover.