“For those of us with a bookish bent, reading is a reflexive response to everything. This is how we deal with the world and anything that comes our way. We have always known that there is a book for every occasion and every obsession. When in doubt, we are always looking things up.”

“Against all odds and despite all evidence to the contrary, still we trust that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel, of our personal tunnel anyway.”

“Joanna has an unmanageable lump in her throat and wonders why it's always the happy memories that make her cry.”

“I remind myself that not everything is a sign, that some things simply are what they appear to be and should not be analyzed, deconstructed, or forced to bear the burden of metaphor, symbol, omen, or portent.”

“Did she really remember that day so clearly or was she making it up as she went along?”

“She thought she would do something with them someday, although she could not have said what and in fact she never did.”

“Talking to Clarence can be like talking to a child, although it is much more charming in children.”