Kate Birkin > Quotes

“What is a moment in a day but a grain of sand . . . until that moment means everything in the world?”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“Mistakes and consequences. None of those things matter, because in the end, God always has the last word. He corrects all errors, straightens all paths, and mends all broken ties.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“A face with no freckles is like a flower with no bloom.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“My husband . . . May you never lie, steal, or cheat. But if you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life. If you must steal, steal away my sorrows. And if you must cheat, cheat death, because I could never live a day without you.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“The whole world is a hungry stomach with teeth.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“May the sun always shine on your face, the wind be at your back, and blessings fall at your feet.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“Ava and Shalom, twenty-two-year-old twin sisters raised in a loving German family, had only recently learned of their Semitic heritage. Once living fairy tale lives, they now found themselves in a horrible nightmare, in shock over how they ended up in this hellish camp.”
― Kate Birkin, Ava and Shalom

“As I observed her, lost in her cogitation, I could see something profound awakening in her mind. Something cataclysmal.”
― Kate Birkin, Ava and Shalom

“coruscating”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“In the near distance, the buck that caused the doctor to swerve off the road was watching. The same albino deer Hanz had saved, standing still like an apparition, its coat the same color as the snow and its majestic deciduous antlers now fifteen inches and ten points strong. It stared at the three men for a moment, then disappeared into the woods.”
― Kate Birkin, Ava and Shalom

“How ironic that something so beautiful could result from something so vile!”
― Kate Birkin, Ava and Shalom

“The silent, ineffable bond of the imperfect, the flawed, the irreparably damaged.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“From where does the wind originate? Does it come from the forces of the earth pushing against each other, or does it come from the nostrils of God? What source brings such a dynamic and mysterious energy that cannot be seen, yet makes the sea push forward, the seasons change, and the windmill blades spin tirelessly? Unyielding and unwavering, it is a constant reminder that the air is very much alive, just as much as we are.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“Every corner of the endless Outback around Sugar Alexandria was an opportunity to venture out and find some new, unfound treasure.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“With the wardrobe now in its final position, Warragul pointed at the intricate design carved and painted on the double doors. “See this maiden and unicorn?” he asked Anna. “This represent good in people.” He moved his finger to the right. “But wolf hidin’ over here represent bad.” Anna focused on what he was pointing at. “Huh, look at that. I saw the princess and the unicorn, but I didn’t even notice the wolf until you pointed it out.” “It means good and evil exist in all, and even the most beauty of things can have fangs.” She smirked. “How do you know it’s not just a maiden, a unicorn, and a wolf?” Warragul shook his head. “They all have same golden heart on their chest. It means they are one.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“The first is Post nubila, solem . . . After the clouds, the sun.” “And the second?” “Luceo, non uro . . . I shine, not burn.” “The third?” “Per aspera ad astra . . . Through hardships to the stars.” As she looked up at him, he smiled, and her insides warmed. “And the fourth?” “Dum spiro, spero . . . While I breathe, I hope.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“Hanz and Maria gently laid down on either side of them. Maria touched Ava’s other hand with her index finger, and the infant subconsciously grabbed hold of it. “Hanz, look,” she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. He smiled and touched Shaylee’s free hand, and she too grabbed hold of his finger.”
― Kate Birkin, Ava and Shalom

“A calm passed over them, as if a fever breaking. God himself muted the sounds around them; even the birds held their song. Both knew in that moment that the sisterly love they once shared had survived it all.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“Mengele,”
― Kate Birkin, Ava and Shalom

“haven’t you.” He would extend his hand, offering the treat, while his other hand gently stroked the buck’s velvety muzzle–a touch that spoke of earned trust and recondite affection between man and beast.”
― Kate Birkin, Ava and Shalom

“Banjora tilted back his Akubra hat, a single ostrich feather sticking out from it. “You do a lot for your cook,” he said, switching to English. “I do.” “You ever say ‘no’?” “She’s not a sheila you can easily say that to.” “It would be good for her to hear ‘no’ sometimes. ‘No’ teaches you.” “Teaches you what?” “To accept the word ‘no’.” James chuckled.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“I close my eyes and feel for the keys. I cannot hear the sound, but I have memorized the steps as one does a dance. There is a rhythm I follow, and I count as I play, each song having many numbers. In between, like deep breaths, I glance over to see Music Man encouraging me to continue. And I do. “Imagine something bonzer as you play,” he signs to me. “Imagine a beauty of a day.” Rose joins in: “Think of the ocean,” she says. “The roar, the power, the endless waves.” I used to think music was simply the vibrations I could feel through the wood of the piano. A delightful resonance infusing into my skin. Now I know it’s much more . . . Music is what emotions sound like.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“Implemented on September 15, 1935, the Nazi regime had announced two new laws related to race: the Reich Citizenship Law, and the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor, together known informally as the Nuremberg Laws because they were first announced at a Nazi Party rally held in that German city. They believed that the world was divided into distinct races not equally strong and valuable, with the so-called Aryan German race the strongest and most valuable of all.”
― Kate Birkin, Ava and Shalom

“There are always two sides to a coin,” his mind echoed as Bucephalus trotted briskly toward home under the starry night. “Only a closed mind sees the one.”
― Kate Birkin, Ava and Shalom

“Hanz ran back inside the barn to inspect the babies. Wrapped in woolen blankets embroidered with the unmistakable Star of David, their peaceful slumber belied their mysterious arrival.”
― Kate Birkin, Ava and Shalom

“Anna The things that surround me . . . Sugar Alexandria The Australian gale The Southern Ocean My darling daughters My beloved cousin Rose’s paintings Chypre de Coty that lingers The strong aroma of black licorice Vanilla crème soap on her alabaster skin Her violin The piano The scent of James’ whiskey The voices My mother”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“If it had been an opera, it would be dramatic, plausible, and even commendable, if it were not for the stolen glances, prolonged looks, and obvious yearnings. At the heart of it all is a naïve young woman with severe hidden mental illness, in complete denial of the passion growing between two people, right under her nose.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“My husband . . . May you never lie, steal, or cheat. But if you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life. If you must steal, steal away my sorrows. And if you must cheat, cheat death, because I could never live a day without you.” “My wife . . . You are blood of my blood, and bone of my bone. I give you my body that we might be one.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“breeze. Like the hot breath of a lover on your neck, only to turn incredibly fluid, clear, and assertive. They have caused her no harm, though, never telling her to hurt anyone or herself. On the contrary, they love and guide her as no one else can. But the narrative is waiting to become nefarious. Itching to turn on her.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna

“Each summer, Rose would make the long trip from England to Australia to stay at Sugar Alexandria, a remote cattle station outside the town of Esperance.”
― Kate Birkin, The Consequence of Anna