Mirjam

“Human beings had ever been captivated by the great burning sphere in the heavens, he said, 'for not only does it give us warmth, but also light. The foremost craving of our souls.”
― Kate Morton, The Clockmaker's Daughter

“Parents and children. The simplest relationship in the world and yet the most complex. One generation passes to the next a suitcase filled with jumbled jigsaw pieces from countless puzzles collected over time and says, ‘See what you can make out of these.”
― Kate Morton, The Clockmaker’s Daughter

“he was always so brave. So resilient, I suppose—that seems to be the word du jour. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel things—many’s the time I saw him weep—but he dealt with his disappointment, with his hardship and grief; he picked himself up and went on, every time. And not like a mad person who refuses to recognize adversity, but like someone who accepts that life is inherently unfair. That the only truly fair thing about it is the randomness of its unfairness.” She topped up their glasses. “I’m telling you all this not because I feel like a stroll down memory lane or because I like to tell my young friends sad stories on sunny Friday evenings; I just— I wanted you to understand. I wanted you to see what a balm love is. What it is to share one’s life, to really share it, so that very little matters outside the certainty of its walls. Because the world is very noisy, Elodie, and although life is filled with joy and wonder, there’s evil and sorrow and injustice, too.”
― Kate Morton, The Clockmaker's Daughter

“This is why we need you,” said Much comfortably. “You’re a pessimist and a good planner.”
― Robin McKinley, The Outlaws of Sherwood