Christina Baker Kline

“Something inexorable seeds itself in the place of your origin. You can never escape the bonds of family history, no matter how far you travel.”

“I think about all the ways I’ve been perceived by others over the years: as a burden, a dutiful daughter, a girlfriend, a spiteful wretch, an inva”

“I couldn't have imagined how much more there was to lose.”

“When you can type a few words into a search engine and land on your topic - or when you can scan a Shakespeare play for specific words or symbols - what opportunities might you miss to expand your thinking in unexpected ways?”

“To get it all done I have to dim my brain, turn it down by notches like the flat-turn knob on a gas lantern, leaving only a nub of flame.”

“Without even thinking about it, my son uses technology in almost everything he does, large and small.”

“I remember her words to me when I left school: Your mind will be your comfort. It is, sometimes. And sometimes it isn't.”

“My mother was a passionate, complicated, sometimes fierce woman.”

“I will not serve lunch to anyone in the middle of a workday. I rarely rearrange my furniture or cabinets; once I find a drawer for something, it stays there. I don't garden. And I don't knit.”

“It's hard selling books in general: companies are merging, editors being laid off, bricks-and-mortar bookstores closing, large chain bookstores squeezing out independents, and online retailers squeezing out chain bookstores.”

“People have to snatch at happiness when they can, in this world. It is always easier to lose than to find...”

“The older I get, the more I believe that the greatest kindness is acceptance.”

“Many people, for many reasons, feel rootless - but orphans and abandoned or abused children have particular cause.”

“She is so white-hot furious she can barely see. She stokes the fire of her hatred, feeding it tidbits about bigoted Dina and spineless mushmouth Ralph, because she knows that just beyond the rage is a sorrow so enervating it could render her immobile. She needs to keep moving, flickering around the room. She needs o fill her bags and get the hell out of here.”

“I have three sons, as different from each other as any three humans could be but connected by their shared love of Guitar Hero. I'm lucky to be married to a man I can call my soulmate without any irony whatsoever.”

“When I start a new novel and find myself diverted by domestic activities, many of which I genuinely enjoy, I panic that I will never write another word.”

“My parents are a bedrock. And I have three complex, strong, and funny sisters who inspire and sustain me.”

“The most surprising thing, honestly, is that so few Americans know about the orphan trains. I was also surprised at the resilience and fortitude of the riders I met, their pragmatism and grace. I don't know whether this is a Midwestern trait or simply a human one.”

“So is it just human nature to believe that things happen for a reason — to find some shred of meaning even in the worst experiences?" Molly asks when Vivian reads some of these stories aloud."It certainly helps," Vivian says.”

“Hardcovers will never completely disappear. They are delightful to hold; they feel weighty and substantial. But my anecdotal evidence suggests that the world is changing.”