“There's a hell all right. It's just not where people say it is....It's here. It's life, or it's what we turn life into, I guess. It's like we have to pass through all this painful stuff to get to where we're supposed to be, on the other side.”

“I watched the night sky with it's countless stars and its moon, and I wondered about the universe and all that had been created, why the stars and the moon rose at night and the sun in the day, how vast it must be, how I could never understand the infinite measure of its size.”

“If you make something your life's work, make sure it's something you can feel proud of when you're an old relic like me.”

“He has a frightening aversion to text messaging in general."It's a phone. It's for making calls, not for writing novels".”

“Faith never stays put. It's always challenging always questioning. That's what makes it real.”

“I really hope that all librarians aren't like Gladys Morgan. Because I'd really like , at some point, to walk into a library and not be afraid for my life.”

“You are indestructible .JFor some reason I felt light-headed when I finished writing and looked up at her, like I'd stood up too fast or the oxygen had left my brain. Oh pulled her arm back, looked thoughtfully at the words, and replied, "It's upside down, but I like it. You done good, Jacob.”