“. . . and Vaclav's special new shoes with the lights on the heels and the Velcro everywhere, because in America no one, not even small children, has time to tie his own shoes, and everything must have flashing lights.”

“Vaclav has said goodnight to Lena every night since the night she went away. Out loud. In a whisper. [...] He filled the words with all his love and care and worry for Lena and launched them out to her, and like homing pigeons, he trusted them to find her.”

“Lena's real mom, Emily, knew that this was not the truth, but she also knew that Vaclav was not lying.Vaclav knew that he was telling the truth.Lena knew that it was a lie, but she loved it and believed it, like a fairy tale, like a song, like a bedtime story, like a magic trick.She loved Vaclav until it became the truth and so it was.”

“Maybe this is how it always is. Maybe someone always wants more. Maybe everyone has a time when they realise that they've been accidentally lying when they say I love you, I miss you, you're pretty, you're the prettiest one, I never want you to leave. Maybe this time ends and it all becomes true again, as true as you ever thought it was. Maybe this time does not end. If this time ends, it would be a smart decision to wait it out. If it does not end, then perhaps you should not wait, and you should find another person to whom you can say these things without lying. But perhaps it always happens, no matter which girl or boy you are trying to love, in which case you might as well stay where you are because you would repeat the same process with anyone else.”

“Forse è sempre così. Forse c'è sempre uno dei due che vuole di più. Forse arriva per tutti il momento in cui ci si rende conto di aver involontariamente mentito dicendo ti amo, mi manchi, sei bella, sei la più bella, non vorrei mai che te ne andassi. Forse quel momento passa e tutto torna vero, vero quanto hai sempre pensato che fosse. O forse non passa. Se il momento passa, sarebbe saggio decidere di aspettare con calma. Se non passa, allora forse non bisognerebbe aspettare: bisognerebbe trovare un'altra persona alla quale si possono dire quelle cose senza mentire. Ma forse succede sempre, chiunque si cerchi di amare, nel qual caso si può benissimo restare dove si è, perché con chiunque altro si ripeterebbe lo stesso processo. (Pag. 163, Cose da salvare in caso d'incendio)”

“Decide di dare una risposta falsa, perché lo imbarazza dire che cosa salverebbe davvero da un incendio. La cosa che davvero salverebbe in caso d'incendio è Lena.”

“The people of jewel," said Olga Ciavolga,"treat their children like delicate flowers. They think they will not survive without constant protection. But there are parts of the world where young boys and girls spend weeks at a time with no company except a herd of goats. They chase away wolves. They take care of themselves, and they take care of the herd. And so, when hard times come - as they always do in the end - those children are resourceful and brave. If they have to walk from one end of the county to the other, carrying their baby brother and sisters, they will do it. If they have to hide during the day and travel at night to avoid soldiers, they will do it. They do not give up easily." The tunnel took a sharp right-hand turn and, for a moment, the old woman s voice was lost. Something dropped onto Goldie's arm, and she opened her mouth to yelp - and thought of those children carrying their baby brothers and sisters through the night - and closed her mouth and kept going. She rounded the corner in time to hear Olga Ciavolga murmur,"Of course, I am not saying that it is a good thing to give children such heavy responsibility's. They must be allowed to have a childhood. But they must also be allowed to find their courage and their wisdom, and learn when to stand and when to run away. After all, if they are not permitted to climb the trees, how will they ever see the great and wonderful world that lies before them?”