“Like a medical procedure,' Ruth said. 'Intricate surgery is needed to patch up the planet.”

“The sun came through the branches of the tree above her, and Ruth looked up past them. "I think she listens," she said, too softly to be heard.”

“Do you miss Susie?"Because it was dark, because Ruth was facing away from her,because Ruth was almost a stranger, Lindsey said what she felt."More than anyone will ever know.”

“Do you ever think of her?' she asked.They were quiet again. All the time,' Ruth said. A chill ran down my spine. 'Sometimes I think she's lucky, you know. I hate this place.'Me too,' Ray said. 'But I've lived other places. This is just a temporary hell, not a permanent one.'You're not implying...'She's in heaven, if you believe in that stuff.'You don't?'I don't think so, no.'I do,' Ruth said. 'I don't mean la-la angel wing crap, but I do think there's a heaven.'Is she happy?'It is heaven, right?'But what does that mean?'The tea was stone-cold and the first bell had already rung. Ruth smiled into her cup. 'Well, as my dad would say, it means she's out of this shithole.'~pgs 82-83”

“At nearly two months,the idea of it as news was fading in the hearts of all but my family-and Ruth”

“It was late in Ruana and Ray's visit when Samuelstarted talking about the gothic revival house that Lindseyand he had found along an overgrown section of Route 30. Ashe told Abigail about it in detail, describing how he hadrealized he wanted to propose to Lindsey and live there withher, Ray found himself asking, "Does it have a big hole inthe ceiling of the back room and cool windows above thefront door?" "Yes," Samuel said, as my father grew alarmed. "But itcan be fixed, Mr. Salmon. I'm sure of it." "Ruth's dad owns that," Ray said. Everyone was quiet for a moment and then Ray continued. "He took out a loan on his business to buy up oldplaces that aren't already slated for destruction. He wantsto restore them," Ray said. "My God," Samuel said. And I was gone.(Susie finnally giving up on earth and moving on)”

“Ruth hadn't talked to my sister since before my death,and then it was only to excuse herself in the hallway atschool. But she'd seen Lindsey walking home with Samuel andseen her smile with him. She watched as my sister said yesto pancakes and no to everything else. She had tried toimagine herself being my sister as she had spent timeimagining being me.”