Kimberly Hardman

“...I realized that the words most often used to define us were words that described our function in relation to others. Even the most benign words- maiden, wife, mother - told the world whether we were virgins or not. What was the male equivalent of maiden? I could not think of it. What was the male equivalent of Mrs., of whore, of common scold?... Which words would define me? Which would be used to judge or contain?”
― Pip Williams, The Dictionary of Lost Words

“Tripp is so many ugly things—a drunk, a lech, a Republican—but murderer still doesn’t fit on him.”
― Rachel Hawkins, The Wife Upstairs

“Some words are more than letters on a page, don't you think? They have shape and texture. They are like bullets, full of energy, and when you give one breath you can feel its sharp edge against your lip.”
― Pip Williams, The Dictionary of Lost Words

“Would the sight of the sea be a comfort to him? Or would it be a slap in the face, seeing his natural habitat, so close, yet so far?”
― Shelby Van Pelt, Remarkably Bright Creatures