Deatheguard

“The most she knew about gardens was the Bakers’ own backyard, which contained one large mulberry tree and a rosebush, plus the window boxes where her mother grew runner beans. She knew there was earth under the plants and that the earth contained worms. She shuddered.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, House of Many Ways

“My mother brought me up to be respectable,” she said. “She never let me near the scullery, or the kitchen either.”
“I don’t believe this!” Peter said. “Why is it respectable not to know how to do things? Is it respectable to light a fire with a bar of soap?”
― Diana Wynne Jones, House of Many Ways

“It was closely printed in long paragraphs that mostly seemed to begin, “If we extrapolate from our findings in my earlier work, we find ourselves ready to approach an extension of the paratypical phenomenology…” No, Charmain thought. I don’t think we are ready.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, House of Many Ways

“But I want to read a book!" Charmain protested.”
― Diana Wynne Jones, House of Many Ways