“Her heart ached, but she took her resolution. It will be seen that Fantine possessed the stern courage of life.”

“He knew she was there by the joy and terror that took possession of his heart [...] Everything was lit up by her. She was the smile that brightened everything around.”

“A flash of something—hope, excitement, disbelief— flickered over the boy’s face, shattering the remaining pieces of her heart. She’d known it would be a hard journey, and staring at Riley’s cast and bruises, she struggled to hold a smile on her face. Being a mother, especially a foster mother, took strength and courage, a backbone of steel and a loving heart.All the qualities her mother had lacked—and all the things Carly was slowly learning she possessed.”

“Charity liked brandy. She liked the way it burned her throat while soothing the ache in her heart.”

“He could not name precisely the special quality she possessed. A glow. An exuberance. An aggressive and determined joy that gave her the courage to push past his defenses, to confront him with unflinching courage, to look into his heart and to see something there worth fighting for.”

“As she neared her destination, she took her glasses off. She hadn't come to the point where she trusted the world as seen through a lens.”