“She looks at the swings, and I can see shes imagining what theyd look like if the kids werent there. The guilt of this holds her down momentarily. It appears to be there constantly. Never far away,...”

“Sometimes people are beautiful.Not in looks.Not in what they say.Just in what they are.”

“Maybe everyone can live beyond what they're capable of.”

“Why cant the world hear? I ask myself. Within a few moments I ask it many times. Because it doesnt care, I finally answer, and I know Im right. Its like Ive been chosen. But chosen for what? I ask.”

“As we walk back, it feels like the city is engulfing us. Adrenalin still pours through our veins. Sparks flow through to our fingers. We've still been running in the mornings, but the city's differ...”

“...there would be punishment and pain, and there would be happiness, too. That was writing.”

“Ex-slaves, in large part, shared a different economic vision. They were "always on the move," searching for family, denying their labor to "dishonest or oppressive employers," and asserting their i...”

“White folks have controlled New Orleans with money and guns, black folks have controlled it with magic and music, and although there has been a steady undercurrent of mutual admiration, an intermin...”

“But lets not forget the Jew. Anybody that gives even a just criticism of the Jew is instantly labeled anti-Semite. The Jew cries louder than anybody else if anybody criticizes him. You can tell the...”

“It's easier to bleed than sweat, Mr. Motes.”

“So I make no effort to hide my pain. I dont ever put it all on display like thisbut for today and all the rest of the days of the trial, I must. My every flinch, every flicker of pain, will bemagni...”

“Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and, instead of bleeding, he sings.”

“I wish you could be kissed, Jane,' he said. 'Because I would beg just one off you. Under all this.' He flailed an arm toward the stars.”

“The blue of the sky is one of the most special colors in the world, because the color is deep but see-through both at the same time.”

“Is this thing safe?""Safe as life," Gansey replied.”