Amanda

“I think my ideal man would speak many languages. He would speak Ibo and Yoruba and English and French and all of the others. He could speak with any person, even the soldiers, and if there was violence in their heart he could change it. He would not have to fight, do you see? Maybe he would not be very handsome, but he would be beautiful when he spoke. He would be very kind, even if you burned his food because you were laughing and talking with your girlfriends instead of watching the cooking. He would just say, 'Ah, never mind'.”
― Chris Cleave, Little Bee

“Every minute you spend with someone gives them a part of your life and takes part of theirs.”
― Ally Condie, Matched

“I'd come here planning to leave as soon as I could. It was a pit stop, not a destination. I had my whole life mapped out."
"So what happened?"
"I guess that map didn't turn out to be mine after all,”
― Sarah Dessen, Along for the Ride

“Life is savagely unfair. It ignores our deep-seated convictions and places a disproportionate emphasis on the decisions we make in split seconds.”
― Chris Cleave, Little Bee