“Olivia was her only beautiful child. Julia, with her dark curls and snub nose, was pretty but her character wasn't, Sylvia --- poor Sylvia, what could you say? And Amelia was somehow ...bland, but Olivia, Olivia was spun from light. It seemed impossible that she was Victor's child, although, unfortunately, there was no doubting the fact. Olivia was the only one she loved, although God knows she tried her best with the others. Everything was from duty, nothing from love. Duty killed you in the end.”

“Olivia married sexy Ghandi. No wonder she loves her husband.”

“Someone was playing the piano and, as she concentrated, Olivia realised she recognised Chopin's 'Grande Polonaise'. She stood up and left the library, following the direction of the music, letting her auditory senses lead her eventually to the doorway of the drawing room. She stood where she was, listening to the exquisite rendition of one of her favourite pieces, closing her eyes as the sound emanated from the piano at the other end of the room. (...) Olivia gasped in astonishment when she saw it was Harry.”

“I'd like a whiskey too." Olivia's husky voice came from beside him.The barkeep raised his bushy brows, but poured her a shot and slid it to her. To Brody's utter surprise, she slung it back as though she regularly spent time in taverns. "Will you never do anything normal?"-Olivia and Brody”

“Granana doesn't understand what the big deal is. She didn't cry at Olivia's funeral, and I doubt she even remembers Olivia's name. Granana lost, like, ninety-two million kids in childbirth. All of her brothers died in the war. She survived the Depression by stealing radish bulbs from her neighbors' garden, and fishing the elms for pigeons. Dad likes to remind us of this in a grave voice, as if it explained her jaundiced pitilessness: "Boys. Your grandmother ate pigeons.”

“I know I'm with Olivia. I know that was a deal breaker for you. But goddamn it, I don't want to be with her. I only want you. It has only been you from the moment you walked into Barton's.”