I'm not sure I would have ever started to draw, let alone write, if my childhood hadn't been so happy. It was a mixture of comfort and adventure. An excellent mixture!

The lamp sizzled as it burned. It made everything seem close and safe, a little family circle they all knew and trusted. Outside this circle lay everything that was strange and frightening, and the darkness seemed to reach higher and higher and further and further away, right to the end of the world.

Most of the people are homesick anyway, and a little lonely, and they hide themselves in their hair and are turned into flowers.

The thing about God, she thought, is that He usually does help, but not until you've made an effort on your own.

My bag was as light as my happy-go-lucky heart.

Someone who eats pancakes and jam can't be so awfully dangerous. You can talk to him.

I love borders. August is the border between summer and autumn; it is the most beautiful month I know. Twilight is the border between day and night, and the shore is the border between sea and land. The border is longing: when both have fallen in love but still haven't said anything. The border is to be on the way. It is the way that is the most important thing.