Belva Plain > Quotes

“How helpless we are, like netted birds, when we are caught by desire”
― Belva Plain

“in that childhood room for whose warmth and safety we search all the rest of our lives and never find again.”
― Belva Plain, Evergreen

“A little damage could only be an improvement”
― Belva Plain, The Sight of the Stars

“We affect the future of those who come after us almost as much as we affect our own.”
― Belva Plain, Tapestry

“daughter of a farmer! A “gentleman’s farm,” Norma said. “You might say it’s a hobby. They’re what you call ‘old money,’ not like us,” she had explained with a smile. “Not like us. They’re also the most generous people in the whole community, personally kind and helpful in every way. They’re known for it.” I can imagine them, Amanda thought now, sitting there every afternoon, having their tea and cakes while they look out at the roses”
― Belva Plain, Looking Back: A Novel

“I’d rather have a bleeding heart than a frozen one, or perhaps no heart at all.”
― Belva Plain, Daybreak

“What you’ve made here is a complete neighborhood.” Pauline mused. “You might live in it without ever needing to leave it for anything, couldn’t you?”
― Belva Plain, Secrecy: A Novel

“A person who studies the universe will enlarge his mind and hatred will become picayune, stupid, impossible. Did you enjoy the book we sent to you?” “I tore it up,” Tom said, and not trying to hide his shame, looked straight at Arthur.”
― Belva Plain, Daybreak

“meant”
― Belva Plain, The Golden Cup: A Novel

“I want you here a few days more so we can watch you. The guys will be just as glad to see you next Monday as they would be today.” “Well, I’m still worried about Earl.” “Who’s he?” “My dog.”
― Belva Plain, Daybreak

“For where there is love of man,
there is love of the art.” AESCULAPIUS”
― Belva Plain, Random Winds: A Novel

“What’s”
― Belva Plain, The Sight of the Stars

“You have a talent, and that’s more than enough to bring you happiness.”
― Belva Plain, Daybreak

“She's a typical artist, a student,”
― Belva Plain, After the Fire: A Novel

“What can be wrong?” they asked the doctor and their friends and themselves. “Oh, nothing but colic, it usually is just colic.” So the formula was changed, and that did work for a time. But only for a time. It had to be changed again and yet again. Then the doctor himself began to seem uncertain.…”
― Belva Plain, Daybreak

“Well, the world wouldn't survive very long if people weren't sure of themselves at nineteen.”
― Belva Plain, Whispers

“Over and over, she had tended that dress as it wore out, knotting the first loose threads, catching the next tiny rent, mending and hiding the splits one after the other, wearing the dress as long as the fabric could be decently held together, until eventually there came a tear too wide to be bound up, and the dress had to go. Perhaps her life with Bud had been like that and had been destined to end even without his death.”
― Belva Plain, Daybreak

“He was well enough acquainted with popular psychology to diagnosis his ailment; depression was anger turned inward. After”
― Belva Plain, Daybreak

“Enough,” Arthur said. “We’ve come to the end. Now accept.”
― Belva Plain, Daybreak

“Such moods do not last unless the possessor of them is prepared to wither away, and Eve was not about to let herself wither.”
― Belva Plain, Legacy of Silence

“Still, if your leg was broken, you felt the pain, and it didn’t ease the pain to be told that somebody else had two broken legs.”
― Belva Plain, Daybreak

“Oh!” cried the mother in her bitterness, “I’ll never understand! A hereditary disease, and never before in either of our families. And our other child with no sign of it. Thank God,” she added quickly.”
― Belva Plain, Daybreak

“Revolution, and this is—”
― Belva Plain, Daybreak

“common arrangement, but it can be done if you know the right people.”
― Belva Plain, Fortune's Hand: A Novel

“There’s more to people than what you can see, isn’t there, Aunt Lillian?” Immediately, Lillian pursued the subject. “What do you mean? He respects you, I hope.” “Respect” in the aunts’ vocabulary meant “no sex.” “Yes, he respects me.”
― Belva Plain, Daybreak