Helen

“For the true bookworm, life doesn’t really begin until you get hold of your first book. Until then – well, you’re just waiting, really. You don’t even know for what, at that stage – if you did, you would be making more noise about it and be less covered in court-shoe-shaped bruises. But it’s books.”
― Lucy Mangan, Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading

“Those of us who have been deceived are made to feel stupid and embarrassed, although we have done nothing but have faith in someone who professed love.”
― Mary Turner-Thomson, The Bigamist: The True Story of a Husband's Ultimate Betrayal

“Ned, the thing about seeking forgiveness from someone you’ve hurt is that you’re hurting them again by asking for something else from them. If you’re sorry, say you’re sorry, apologise, let them know you’ve realised the enormity of what you’ve done and won’t do it again, but leave it there. Don’t expect anything else from them. Don’t require them to say they forgive you so you can feel better. Or expect them to move on according to your timetable. Or to even give the whole thing any kind of headspace. Apologise and then leave it. Sit with how you feel about not being forgiven despite how sorry you are. Don’t make it worse.”
― Dorothy Koomson, Tell Me Your Secret

“She’s long ago given up wishing that she had a mother who felt things less keenly, who was able to contain her emotions, at least in front of the person who was suffering first-hand. Ever since she was a little girl, Viola had experienced everything twice: when it happened and then when she’d told her mother what happened. The second time was always worse because her mother’s reaction would always reignite Viola’s own pain and then she’d have the extra pain of her mother to contend with too.”
― Menna van Praag, The Patron Saint of Lost Souls: The bewitching novel of getting your heart's desire