“Suburban sprawl has heavily damaged the balance of our cities, divorcing environmental context from design and removing the concept of scale from the creation of neighborhoods.”

“Yet for quixotic reasons--namely, that I enjoyed writing obits--I had decided to scale back on articles about city life in order to write exclusively about the city's dead. For even less money. It was a strange and inexplicable career move.”

“Something Zachariah told me filled my mind and excited my heart: "A Sailor," he said, "chooses the wind that takes the ship from safe port......but winds have a mind of their home.”

“A mouse has to do what a mouse has to do”

“A sailor chooses the wind that takes the ship from a safe port. Ah, yes, but once you're abroad, as you have seen, winds have a mind of their own. Be careful, Charlotte, careful of the wind you choose.”

“Laurence, not sure what to do, remained standing below the steps."And who is this?" Mrs Hamlyn asked.Patrick looked back. "His name is . . . Laurence, mistress."Mrs Hamlyn scrutinized the boy before her. "Where does he come from?" she said, finding him scrawny and dirty."He came to America on the same ship we did."Mrs Hamlyn pursed her lips. "He's very ragged. Is he from Ireland too?""England.""But a friend of yours?"Laurence and Patrick looked at each other."Is he?" Mrs Hamlyn asked again.Patrick said, "He saved my life, twice.""Did he? Then he must be a good friend indeed.”

“A sailor may choose the wind to ride out of seaport, but the wind has a mind of it's own.”