Ellen Oh > Quotes

“If I can believe believe that the heavens have blessed me with a tiger-spirited daughter, then how can I doubt the existence of a Dragon Musado?" he said.

Kira didn't know how to react to her father's words.

"I believe that one person can change the world. Whether he is the Musado or a girl with a tiger spirit. The monks teach that we mere mortals cannot question fate. But I say that we control destiny by our every action. Our power lies in the choices we make." Her father placed his warm hand on her cheek. "In the choices you make. Remember, stay true to yourself and do what your heart tells you is right, and not what is easy.”
― Ellen Oh, Prophecy

“Your differences are what make you unique. They're what make you special. You have nothing in common with these ignorant retches who thrive on superstition and fear. You were meant for greatness.”
― Ellen Oh, Prophecy

“I am left with pieces of remembering though I loved him whole.”
― Ellen Oh, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings

“It was an ill-fated thing to claim that a heart is safe. Hearts are rebellious. The moment they feel trapped, they will strain against their bindings. And it was so with the Mountain.”
― Ellen Oh, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings

“"My uncle is the head of the family. I owe him my duty. I would marry a bald, cross-eyed idiot if that is what he asked of me."
"Oh, that makes me feel so much better! There goes my plan to shave off my hair.”
― Ellen Oh, Prophecy

“My son, war is horrific and dehumanizing. It numbs us to suffering, pain, and death. Therefore, it requires average citizens to take extraordinary measures. For if we don’t do what we can to minimize the suffering of others, we will lose our humanity.”
― Ellen Oh, Finding Junie Kim

“There are moments in life when a person must decide between what’s right and what’s safe.”
― Ellen Oh, Finding Junie Kim

“My little girl, there’s nothing wrong with you. People reject things they don’t understand. The problem is with them, not with you!”
― Ellen Oh, Spirit Hunters

“How she hated that phrase, the way of things.”
― Ellen Oh, Prophecy

“There was a danger in knowing too much of what the future held.”
― Ellen Oh, Warrior

“A heart is only important to those who want to leave the place that tethers their souls and gives them form.”
― Ellen Oh, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings

“I love how you find comfort and happiness in the simple things of life. Never forget them. Never forget what makes you happy.”
― Ellen Oh, King

“I see women give these confusing messages all the time. Urging the men to enjoy their food and eat a lot, and telling their girls to go hungry or else they’ll get fat and no man will want to marry them.”
― Ellen Oh, King

“I’m learning about perspective, you know? How you never really know the answer to something unless you can look at it from all the different sides.”
― Ellen Oh, King

“But sometimes we have to do things no matter how difficult or frightening they might be. Because it’s the right thing to do.”
― Ellen Oh, King

“Sometimes, I’m not even sleeping. I’m just kind of sitting there and all of a sudden I’m in a dream. It’s like watching a horror movie where the character who you know is about to die next is heading toward the danger instead of running away like any smart person would do. And you can see their horrified expression as it dawns on them just how dumb they’ve been. I hate those movies. Fact—Real people run away from danger. But in my dream, I’m the one walking right into the monster’s trap, and no matter how much I try I can’t make myself stop. Except, the thing is, I never get to the end. I wake up right as I head into the darkness. Yeah, that’s what my dreams are like. Super frustrating.”
― Ellen Oh, Spirit Hunters

“swastikas”
― Ellen Oh, Finding Junie Kim

“You will need to rely on your wits, and the ability to trust correctly,”
― Ellen Oh, Warrior

“Maybe someday I'll be cool enough to make eye contact with random people without panicking. But today is not that day.”
― Ellen Oh, You Are Here: Connecting Flights: Twisted Tales of Young Asian Americans in a Chaotic Airport

“You cannot fight the gods. We are but mortal. All we can do is try to hide from them.”
― Ellen Oh, The Island of Monsters

“When people die, not everyone makes it to where they need to be. Some get stuck and some don’t want to go.”
― Ellen Oh, Spirit Hunters

“Love is not cheesy. It is the most powerful emotion. People kill for it. People will sacrifice themselves for it. It can both heal you and destroy you. There is no greater power, and you should not underestimate it.”
― Ellen Oh, Something Wicked

“Don’t be naive, little one. Evil can take all forms.”
― Ellen Oh, Spirit Hunters

“Your mother always liked to tell people she was from Washington D.C., but technically she is a Marylander.”
― Ellen Oh, Spirit Hunters

“I understand the idea of being and non-being. But I cannot understand the non-existence of non-being.”
― Ellen Oh, Warrior

“We can still be happy enjoying the little things in life.”
― Ellen Oh, Warrior

“Sometimes it’s easier to pretend everything is all right rather than face your fears and your mistakes.”
― Ellen Oh, The Island of Monsters

“Being good was slippery. It didn't stay still; it moved around, and not only that, sometimes it meant exactly opposite things. Like, there were times when being good meant speaking up, but other times when it meant staying quiet.”
― Ellen Oh, You Are Here: Connecting Flights: Twisted Tales of Young Asian Americans in a Chaotic Airport

“It was easy to kill, but hard to forget.”
― Ellen Oh, Prophecy

“You wrote me and all these other people into a story that robbed us of our free will. These past few weeks, I felt like someone was forcing me to do things I didn't want to do, feel things I didn't want to believe. As if an unseen force was guiding my every movement. You turned us from people into characters with stories that you predetermined. You were playing with our lives without even knowing it. And you put us in terrible danger.”
― Ellen Oh, The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee