Quotes from Susan Wiggs

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." —Buddha

The sommelier had given them a lesson about the stomach-settling qualities of grappa, a humble liqueur made from something called pomace. A fancy word for what's left after the juice is squeezed out of the grapes, Natalie explained.

What we remember from childhood we remember forever—permanent ghosts, stamped, inked, imprinted, eternally seen. —CYNTHIA OZICK, AMERICAN WRITER, B. 1928

informed by real events. The case of Brittany Smith, who in 2018 shot and killed her rapist and was subsequently indicted for murder

She read books that took her to faraway places. Books that let her live a different life. Books that made her see the world with new eyes.

Only Grandfather knew the truth, that there was no career or calling more thrilling, demanding or rewarding than raising a child.

Cyntoia Brown was sentenced to life in prison at age sixteen for the murder of the man who subjected her to abuse and sex trafficking;

Chrystul Kizer, at seventeen a survivor of sex trafficking and abuse, was charged with first degree intentional homicide. LadyKathryn Williams-Julien of New York State killed her husband during an act of domestic violence and was charged with his murder.

There is troubling evidence that dismissal on the grounds of self-defense is far more common for men than women.

Annie's other prized book lay nearby—a copy of Lord of the Flies, a vintage clothbound volume in a sturdy slipcase, one of three copies she possessed. She hoped the reporter wouldn't ask about that.

It's also true that certain medical organizations treat rape survivors with a drug that prevents fertilization but fails to act against a conceived zygote, thus opening the possibility that a pregnancy could occur as the result of the rape.

I want you in every way a man can want a woman, and in ways we've yet to invent. Every single day and night. Now, come here.

How do we do this?" she whispered, overwhelmed. "How do we bear the unbearable?" "Sometimes we don't," he said simply. "Sometimes we just breathe.

great guy. Wait till you get to know him." I didn't wait, Sophie thought. I fell right into bed with him. "It would never work. I still don't want kids," Daphne said. "I never will. I'm the oldest of five, and I raised my younger brothers and

I don't want her to feel as if she's responsible for my happiness. Good lord, who would wish that on a child?

Due to the system of mandatory cash bail, people in jails across the US have not yet been convicted of a crime, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. Even the innocent might remain in jail for days, weeks, or even years simply because they cannot afford their bail.

Ida B. Miller

The moments of life are ephemeral and unpredictable. We must capture the best ones and keep them safe in our hearts.

Now she realized that the key to happiness had less to do with setting up housekeeping with an appropriate spouse and more, far more, to do with finding someone who gave one confidence and peace and passion, gifts so rich she had no words for them.

She suspected that a big factor in her choice was the fact that they were both men. They had exactly zero interest in attacking a woman. But it was more than that. It was the love she read on their faces when they looked at each other, their commitment to openly and fiercely love each other even though society might disapprove. Given its conception during a violent rape, this child might also need that strength of commitment and acceptance.

That she had been with you every minute of your life from the second you took your first breath until a week ago, when she had left forever. That she was beautiful and inspiring. Brilliant, but often foolish. Quirky and infuriating. Complicated and beloved. That she was everything—a mother, a daughter, a friend, a bookseller, a purveyor of dreams.

The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss?

Maya Running

It's a Kalahari diamond," he said. "I picked a square cut because it looks like a crystal of salt." Margot reached across the table and touched two fingers to his lips. "It's the prettiest thing I ever saw.