When Mats came in the evenings, they would drink tea in the kitchen while reading their books and talking about them. If Katri came in, they were quiet and waited for her to leave. The back door would close, and Katri would have gone. “Does your sister read our books?” Anna wanted to know. “No. She reads literature.

Making a journey by night is more wonderful than anything in the world.

I'll have to calm down a bit. Or else I'll burst with happiness

Malander had an idea and was trying to work it out, but it would take him time. Sometimes people never saw things clearly until it was too late and they no longer had the strength to start again. Or else they forgot their idea along the way and didn't even realise that they forgotten.

But he thought all the strange words were beautiful, and he had never had a book of his own before.

You can't ever be really free if you admire somebody too much.

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