Barbara O'Connor > Quotes

“Sometimes the trail you leave behind you is more important than the path ahead of you.”
― Barbara O'Connor, How to Steal a Dog

“You can't judge people for the mistakes they make. You judge them for how they fix those mistakes.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“Put the baby on the paper.”
― Barbara O'Connor

“Well, you know, life marches on. And sometimes we have to join the parade whether we want to or not.”
― Barbara O'Connor

“Sometimes, the more you stir it, the worse it stinks.”
― Barbara O'Connor, How to Steal a Dog

“On the line beside Describe your family, I wrote, "Bad."

What is your favorite subject in school? "None."

List three of your favorite activities. "Soccer, ballet, and fighting."

Two of those favorite activities were lies but one of them was the truth.

I am fond of fighting.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“You'd think that a redheaded boy with glasses who was named Howard and had an up-down walk would have a lot more to wish for than being friends with me. But I admit I felt a smile on my face and hope in my heart, 'cause maybe wishes really do come true. Maybe some wishes just take longer than others.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“Bertha knelt in front of me and took both my hands in hers and said, “Your mama loves you very much, Charlie. But sometimes, she just loses her way.”

Loses her way? I’d be happy to draw her a map to show her the way back to being my mama again.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“And then she got a bad, bad feeling because she realized she had been wrong.
You can fool a person.
You can fool a dog.
You can fool a cat or a horse or a teacher or a friend.
But you cannot ever fool a heart.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Greetings from Nowhere

“If you cut off the pointed end of a slice of pie and save it for last, you can make a wish when you eat it.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“That night when I went to bed, I laid there in the dark and pictured a clothesline full of somebody's else's troubles. I knew for sure there were a lot of them I'd rather pluck off of that line than mine. I imagined what the other troubles might be. There would probably be toothaches and failed math tests. Lost cats and ugly hair. Cheating boyfriends and broken-down cars. But none of those could hold a candle to my troubles, weighing down that clothesline like a sack full of bricks.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“I”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“When it was time for me to leave, I thanked Mrs. Odom, climbed on Lenny’s bike, and set off for home. As I pedaled up the road, I turned and glanced back at the Odoms’ house. I remembered that first day on the school bus when I had seen it and thought it was so sad-looking. Then I pictured all those boys in that little kitchen getting loved on by their mama and that house didn’t look one bit sad anymore.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“You can’t judge people for the mistakes they make. You judge them for how they fix those mistakes.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“Carmella twisted a damp tissue around and around in her lap. Every now and then, she dabbed at her nose. “I can’t hardly stand to face the day anymore,” she said. “I couldn’t even go to work today.” “How come?” Toby said. I gave him a nudge with my knee. We sat squeezed together between piles of junk on Carmella’s couch. The window shades were drawn. Tiny sparkles of dust danced in a narrow beam of sunlight that slanted across the dark room. Carmella shook her head. “Gertie says she hasn’t got that kind of money, but I know she does.” “Why won’t she give it to you?” I said. “’Cause she’s selfish, that’s why.” I watched a fly land on a greasy pizza box on”
― Barbara O'Connor, How to Steal a Dog: A Novel

“Nine”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“before.” “Who does he belong to?” Gus propped the hoe against the fence and sat in a lawn chair in the yard. “Just an ole wild stray,” he said. “Been hanging around here for months. Bertha keeps putting table scraps out for him. He don’t mind eating her meat loaf, but he don’t want nothing else to do with her.” I looked toward the woods. “I bet I can catch him,” I said. Gus took off his baseball cap and scratched his head. “That ole mutt is mighty skittish.” “If I can catch him, can I keep him?” “I think that dog would rather be a stray,” he said. But I knew better. I knew what it felt like to be a stray, not having a home where somebody wanted you. And he was a fighter. Like”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“That night when I went to bed, I laid there in the dark and pictured a clothesline full of somebody else's troubles. I knew for sure there were a lot of them I'd rather pluck off of that line than mine. I imagined what the other troubles might be. There would probably be toothaches and failed math tests. Lost cats and ugly hair. Cheating boyfriends and broken-down cars. But none of those could hold a candle to my troubles, weighing down that clothesline like a sack full of bricks.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“Two”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“lanyards.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“Every time you feel yourself starting to get mad, say ‘Pineapple.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“raccoon or a possum or maybe even just the rustle of leaves in the wind. “That is one happy dog, Butterbean,” Gus would say. Then Bertha would urge Gus to tell us another story about his dog, Skeeter. “How about that time he fell in the river when y’all were fishing and your brother jumped in after him and flipped the boat over?” she said. Gus chuckled, but before he could say a word, Bertha said, “Oh, I know! Tell Charlie how your sister used to dress Skeeter up in her Girl Scout uniform.” I took Wishbone to the Odoms’ almost every day. I still hadn’t told Howard I was sorry for what I said about his up-down walk, so there was always a big ole elephant in the room for me. But Howard, he never let on that anything had happened between us. Still, I felt mad at myself for not speaking up. I kept thinking about what Bertha had said about judging folks for how they fix their mistakes, and I knew I wasn’t doing a very good job of fixing mine.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“shut up.”
― Barbara O'Connor, How to Steal a Dog: A Novel

“If there was ever a time when I wished the earth would open up and swallow me whole,”
― Barbara O'Connor, How to Steal a Dog: A Novel

“anything”
― Barbara O'Connor, The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester

“ole Waffle House,”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“You’re not.” “How do you know?” “I just know.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“true.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“mama”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish

“The three of us sat out on the porch as the stars were beginning to twinkle up in the Carolina sky and ate blackberry cobbler before supper.”
― Barbara O'Connor, Wish