Catherine Dang > Quotes

“Our family didn’t apologize with words. We were blunt about everything else, but apologies felt stilted, strange. We showed remorse through kindness, a favor, a small gift. Sometimes we continued like normal, as though there had been no fight.”
― Catherine Dang, What Hunger

“The world was less forgiving of its fat, ugly women. I knew that from firsthand experience. At best, people ignored you. At worst, they insulted you. Your existence was barely tolerated. By virtue of your looks, you had nothing to offer. It didn't matter if you were smart, thoughtful, or funny - no one listened. No one cared.”
― Catherine Dang, Nice Girls

“You think things are bad one day. You think it can’t get any worse. Then it does.”
― Catherine Dang, What Hunger

“Purgatory was a wood full of snow.”
― Catherine Dang

“As a family, we knew best how to hurt each other.”
― Catherine Dang, Nice Girls

“Mẹ and Ba never took us on vacations or signed us up for summer activities. Tommy and I never questioned why—it was all the time, money, and effort that our parents simply didn’t have for us. So we made do with what we had in the house and the backyard.”
― Catherine Dang, What Hunger

“None of us ever thought too much about our actions, our inaction-life was too fast, too complicated. We just kept moving forward. By the time we thought about it, it was too late. We kept moving forward anyway.”
― Catherine Dang, Nice Girls

“Because angry tears and sad tears all looked the same.”
― Catherine Dang, What Hunger

“And maybe that was why some people prayed so ardently. They hoped that God would take care of the things they couldn't. They hoped that there was justice and righteousness out there. People prayed because they were tired.”
― Catherine Dang, Nice Girls

“I was sick of them. They always stepped in at the wrong time. They never paid attention when it counted—never showed up to our choir concerts or class charity events. They liked Tommy’s grades, but they never went to the awards nights to celebrate him. When we didn’t want them around, that was when our parents cared. That was when they suddenly interfered.”
― Catherine Dang, What Hunger

“I wanted him to savor this time. Because one day he would lose it all. I would unleash a flood that would collapse this lovely world he’d built, tearing his flesh from his bone, stripping him raw of everything that gave him life.”
― Catherine Dang, What Hunger

“I thought we looked suspicious watering the yard in the dark. “We’re Vietnamese. They’ll think we’re just being strange like usual,” she said, flicking her hand.”
― Catherine Dang, What Hunger

“My mother’s world was made only of her spouse and children. No one else could enter it.”
― Catherine Dang, What Hunger

“It’s okay to be lighthearted. It’s good to enjoy things when you’re young. Life is hard already. You need to find those little moments that make it worthwhile.”
― Catherine Dang, What Hunger

“You've got people who actually do good things, run charities, hel the poor. Yeah they're doing good things, but what's the incentive behind it? There's always an incentive. They want the attention or the tax benefits. Or they're being good because they want to go to heaven...But if you're being good just to get into heaven, are you actually being good? Or are you being selfish?”
― Catherine Dang, What Hunger