“and if you think thats what i'd do you can fuck off back.”

“Without stories, how do we know who we are? How can we imagine who we can be?”

“Sometimes a house has two histories. One that's less well known. One that people have an interest in keeping less well known.”

“Sometimes when they all talk I feel like shouting, 'so your life went wrong—why assume mine will? Maybe it’ll work for me!' But this would only invite a pitying smile, and a 'she’ll learn' comment. You can’t win with them. You can’t even compete.”

“We've a bond, haven't we, Goaty? Fellow victims. Partners in survival. Though God knows what my mum will say If I try and take him home...”

“The moment had passed. But it had happened.”

“While obsession with one’s personal appearance is a sign of being a vacant prat, total oblivion to it is a sign of mental illness.”