“The notion of a country cottage settled in her thoughts as a watercolor, red bricks, climbing roses, the house the most intelligent of the three little pigs built, but with some age on it now; and the place they found in western Massachusetts wasn’t far off, solid enough to withstand huffs and puffs, small enough to feel manageable, large enough to hold visiting grandchildren, old enough to inspire optimism about what might, improbably, endure.”

“This is a tightly planned little house. He often feels protected by its smallness; there is hardly room enough here to feel lonely.”

“Not enough." Margo rose and tucked the towel in place. " Come on, let's go stuff her in a locker. For old time's sake.”

“To be heroic is to be courageous enough to die for something; to be inspirational is to be crazy enough to live a little.”

“The adventures of adolescence had taught Piet Barol that he was extremely attractive to most women and to many men. He was old enough to be pragmatic about this advantage, young enough to be immodest, and experienced enough to suspect that it might be decisive in this, as in other circumstances.”

“I settled opposite him in my favorite chair, low enough that my feet can touch the floor, wide enough to curl up inside, with a little table beside it just big enough to hold a book and a coffee cup.”