“Knowing that time is short is important. Knowing to make the best use of it you can, that's important. Letting those around you know you love them. Because you never know when you'll have to say good-bye.”

“No matter what she'd done, you have to say..." "You have to say, 'It wouldn't have made a bit if difference.”

“Why wouldn't you talk to us Little Sister? "I tried," Little Sister says. "I did. But my voice was lost in sadness.”

“Grief stays with a person for a long time.”

“But past events had impressed uponme how fast things could go wrong, and how different life might be after they did.”

“My head is throbbing. I need coffee. Leaving the marbled papers in a state of controlled chaos, I walk through the office and past the page's desk in the Reading Room. I am halted by Isabelle's voice saying, "Perhaps Mr. DeTamble can help you," by which she means "Henry, you weasel, where are you slinking off to?" and this astoundingly beautiful amber-haired tall slim girl turns around and looks at me as through I am her personal Jesus. My stomach lurches. Obviously she knows me, and I don't know her. Lord only knows what I've said, done, or promised to this luminous creature, so I am forced to say in my best librarianese, "Is there something I can help you with?" The girl sort of breathes "Henry!" in this very evocative way that convinces me that at some point in time we have a really amazing thing together. This makes it worse that I don't know anything about her, not even her name. I say "Have we met?" and Isabelle givs me a look that says You asshole. But the girl says, "I'm Claire Abshire. I knew you when I was a little girl," and invites me out to dinner. I accept, stunned.”

“Love who you love while you have them. That's all you can do. Let them go when you must. If you know how to love, you'll never run out.”