“Life is a struggle, I would tell him. Some days are better than others, and every person's life is bittersweet, filled with joy and pain.”

“What he didn't know was that he always would and that in all those important moments that were yet to come to pass in his life, there would be a searing wound. Over time the wound would grow smaller, but it would never disappear.”

“Makes you grow up quick. Hard work makes you strong. I work hard every day; that's where I get my strength. That and knowing who I am.”

“Okay. I could her deb wailing-in my head. This is the Lowcountry, Steve. That's how life goes around here.”

“I want you to think. Gawd got his special purpose for you, just like He does for every one of us. He done give you a very good mind. The world you have when you grow up is gonna be the one you make. You use your mind and make it better.”

“She says that on the day you stop believing in love you may as will lie down and die. I think she may be right.”

“I have always thought that librarians are a little bit like doctors, travel agents and professors all rolled into one. We all know that a great story can lift spirits, take you anywhere in the world you want to go and in any time period to boot, and the lessons you learn from a good book can buoy your own convictions and even change your life. ”