“Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved”

“The only urgent thing in life is the pursuit of love. You get that one right, and you've solved the mystery.”

“For Ciro, Enza would sacrifice, fight to put food on the table, worry and fret over babies, and live life in full. She had only one life to share, and one heart to give the man who most deserved it. If she took Ciro on, she was in for a struggle compared to her life with Vito, but the love of all loves was worth it.”

“He promised to love me. And for once in my life, I'm going to do the impractical, unwise, ill-advised thing. I'm going to make a decision based upon the feeling I have in my heart, and not what looks good on paper or makes anyone else happy. I'm going to do something for me, and I'll live with whatever Ciro brings into my life and be happy that I did.”

“Art makes the spirit soar. And when the spirit is lifted, life follows.”

“The intimacy. The deepest level of love. The knowledge that someone understands you, is rooting for you, is sharing your life.”

“Isn't this the truth of any good mother? That in all of our lives. We worry only about those we brought into this world, regardless of whether they loved us back or treated us fairly or understood our shortcomings.”