Julia Zubiago

“Your life is not a tragedy. It’s history, and it’s yours.”
― Rachel Hartman, Tess of the Road

“We curl around our own pain until we can’t see beyond ourselves. You want to walk on? Walk out of that shadow.”
― Rachel Hartman, Tess of the Road

“Something terrible and wonderful and painful swelled inside Tess, but she could bear it. Tentatively she laid her head upon her sister's shoulder. "You never meant to hurt me."

"We sisters have a particular talent for hurting each other without meaning to," said Seraphina. She hesitated a moment and then leaned her cheek against the crown of Tess's head.

They sat that way for some time, watching the baby, talking quietly. They spoke of childbirth like they were veterans of the same war, comparing wounds, and Tess felt some of the scars on her heart loosen and dissolve.

Phina kissed her cheeks when she left. Tess marveled that she could feel so hurt and comforted at once, so empty and full. Here was a life lived in joy-utl, and she was capable and capacious enough to endure it.”
― Rachel Hartman, Tess of the Road

“Tess trembled so hard her teeth chattered. “So it is with the body,” said the nun, eyes narrowing fiercely. “The hated innocent becomes hateful. Goodness withers when it is continuously ground underfoot. We fulfill our parents’ direst prophecies, then curl around our own pain until we can’t see beyond ourselves.”
― Rachel Hartman, Tess of the Road