“ Some children were lucky enough to have their Potter novels banned by witch-hunting school boards and micromanaging ministers. Is there any greater job than a book you're not allowed to read, a book y… Ann Patchett
“ Who makes things up? Who tells the real story? We all turn our lives into stories. It is a defining characteristic of our species. We retell our experiences. We quickly learn what parts are interestin… Ann Patchett
“ There was no time for kissing but she wanted him to know that in the future there would be. A kiss in so much loneliness was like a hand pulling you up out of the water, scooping you up from a place o… Ann Patchett
“ The kind of love that offers its life so easily, so stupidly is always the love that is not returned. Ann Patchett
“ Instead, he was astonished by what he had: the chance to sit beside this woman in the late afternoon light while she read. Ann Patchett
“ The general wisdom around here is if you can’t get it at Wal-Mart, you don’t need it. Sabine looked up at the brown building, which was itself the size of another parking lot. I’ve never actually been… Ann Patchett
“ He could see in his face a love so obviously displayed that she must already know everything there was to know about it. He was so close to her then that they owned every molecule of air in the tiny r… Ann Patchett
“ Thank God Roxane Coss had not fallen in love with one of the Russians. She doubted they could make it up the stairs without stopping for a cigarette and telling at least one loud story that no one cou… Ann Patchett
“ It was not as natural as it appeared. It was more like milking a cow, easy as long as someone else was doing it. Ann Patchett
“ Lelia gave a dharma talk about letting go of self-definition: I can't do this because of what happened to me in my childhood; I can't do that because I am very shy; I could never go there because I'm… Ann Patchett
“ Part of what I love about novels and dogs is that they are so beautifully oblivious to economic concerns. We serve them, and in return they thrive. It's not their responsibility to figure out where th… Ann Patchett
“ The women in the kitchen took turns making a fuss over the baby, acting like it was their job to keep her entertained until the Magi arrived. But the baby wasn't entertained. Her blue eyes were glazed… Ann Patchett
“ The gawk was full of brazen curiousity, pity, and fear, every unattractive human emotion rolled into one unflattering facial expression. Ann Patchett
“ Only Mr. Hosokawa and the priest completely understood the importance of the music. Every note was distinct. It was the measurement of the time which had gotten away from them. It was the interpretati… Ann Patchett
“ Writing is a miserable, awful business. Stay with it. It is better than anything in the world. Ann Patchett
