“Ollie though how her daddy once said sometimes people do things out of ignorance more than meanness. That's what Ollie took this woman to be - ignorant of God's love more than mean-spirited towards others.”

“No. You, your sisters, and your daddy are the best things I have. That, Ollie, was just a plate.”

“Martha always kept count and always figured the score in Ollie's favor. Poor Martha, thought Ollie, forever counting and never satisfied.”

“The thought occurred to her that God made her daddy's shoulders broad and strong so he could hold up the burdens of others.”

“Be careful when you listen to people called they, Olivene, her daddy said. They often tell lies.”

“But some people are broken. They don't know anything other than hatred... It's like their heart gets going in the wrong direction early on in life, and they can never quite manage to bring it back around to love. It's a sad thing and we should have compassion for them. Think of the joy they are missing in life.”

“Even a broken life is better than no life at all.”