“You get to tour some of the historic homes and listen to ghost stories.""This is what people do in small towns?""We could either do that or go sit on my porch, chew some tobacco, and play banjos.”
“You can't live your life for other people. You've got to do what's right for you, even if it hurts some people you love.”
“But Noah, you're not supposed to do this, and I can't let you. So go back to your room." Then smiling softly and sniffling and shuffling some papers on the desk, she says: "Me, I'm going downstairs for some coffee. I won't be back to check on your for a while, so don't do anything foolish."She rises quickly, touches my arm, and walks toward the stairs. She doesn't look back, and suddenly I am alone. I don't know what to think. I look at where she had been sitting and see her coffee, a full cup, still steaming, and once again I learn that there are good people in the world.”
“Too many people glorified small-town America, making it seems like a Normal Rockwell painting, but the reality was something else entirely. With the exception of doctors and lawyers or people who owned their own business, there were no high-paying jobs in Oriental, or any other small town for that matter. And while is was in many way an ideal place to raise young children, there was little for young adults to aspire to.There weren't, nor would there ever be, middle management positions in small towns, nor was there much to do on the weekends, or even new people to meet”
“Ronnie:" I guess I'm okay with that.But it's not going to be easy for you. They don't have a lot of fishing or mudding around here.Will:" I figured."Ronnie" And not a lot of beach volleyball,either. Especially in January."Will" I guess I'll have to make some sacrifices."Ronnie."Maybe if you're lucky, we can find you some other ways to occupy Your time.”
“The problem isn't finding out where you are gonna go-its figuring out what you are gonna do once you get there that is! (Jamie Sullivan)”
“You know how gossip is. It's the toxic waste of small town”