Cynthia Morris > Quotes

“Why do people always complain about their circumstances, like they have no control over them? Everyone has the ability to change their lives.”
― Cynthia Morris, Chasing Sylvia Beach

“The books, the dust, the dry air, the fruitlessness of running a business that wasn’t successful exacted a cost on Sylvia that Lily hated to see.”
― Cynthia Morris, Chasing Sylvia Beach

“Fragility? Why would you want that for your daughter?” Her mother broke off a stem of basil. “So you’d always remember how precious life is.”
― Cynthia Morris, Chasing Sylvia Beach

“I was a dreamer. But the years have beaten it out of me. You’ll see.”
― Cynthia Morris, Chasing Sylvia Beach

“What advice do you have for a writer just starting out?” Gertrude’s face deepened into a frown. “What do you write, anyway?” “I’d like to write short stories. Or essays. And maybe a novel someday.” Gertrude seemed to soften and nearly smiled. “Read then. Read everything and then forget it all. You have to find your own voice. Don’t go trying to imitate someone else’s style. Just be yourself.”
― Cynthia Morris, Chasing Sylvia Beach

“Mm-hmm. More exciting? Read less, live more. That’s the key, dear Lily,”
― Cynthia Morris, Chasing Sylvia Beach

“An athenaeum is a special library. Named after the goddess Athena.” Louise smiled. “And neuf is French for ‘new’—we like to think of ourselves as a new breed of library. It also means ‘nine.’ We always have nine team members.”
― Cynthia Morris, Chasing Sylvia Beach

“We’re called the Athenaeum Neuf. We’re doing rescue work. So far we’ve saved some very precious items.”
― Cynthia Morris, Chasing Sylvia Beach

“Nothing dampened Sylvia’s determination. Maybe that’s how she had survived so many years teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. It was so different from Lily’s era, where if something didn’t work out or wasn’t comfortable—a marriage, a job—it could be swapped for a new one.”
― Cynthia Morris, Chasing Sylvia Beach