“Still, I look down, and the grass is so green, I cannot understand how it does not wither and die with sorrow.~Song of the Sparrow”

“Somewhere, things must be beautiful and vivid. Somewhere else, life has to be beautiful and vivid and rich. Not like this muted palette -a pale blue bedroom, washed out sunny sky, dull green yellow brown of the fields. Here, I know ever twist of every road, every blade of grass, every face in this town, and I am suffocating.”

“I've got this image in my head of how I want my life to look, and I have absolutely no idea how to get there. And I'm so scared that I'll make some wrong decision - just one - and everything will get messed up and go wrong -for good.”

“My sparrow, she flickers and wakes and sings and sings. ”

“The song is languid and speaks of love and loneliness and loss. Why does love seem to go with the sad things?”

“And at that moment, a lilting melody lifts to the moon as a single sparrow sings.”

“It should begin with friendship, I think. Suddenly I cannot look at him.It should begin with friendship and truly knowing who a person is, knowing his flaws and hopes and strengths and fears, knowing all of it. And admiring and caring for- loving the person because of all of those things...I know that now.”