Explore Book Quotes

“This is a throughly enjoyable yarn, veering between farce and tragedy, and people with highly quixotic but believable characters. It revels in the joy and the danger of exploration...”

“You smart-aleck! You have no more right to spit on his religion than you have a right to spit on my religion! Or my lack of it!”

Retta, the responsible older sister trying to replace mom, frustrated by the lack of appreciation for her efforts and is hurt by the lack of loyalty from her brothers. Johnny, the pre-teen experiencing a need for rebellion and independence. He’s trying to make a splash because of the lack of attention he gets and how fed up he is with being told what to do.

“Perhaps it was all my years as a big sister, but I just had to keep these girls safe.”

“All around the world they’re getting up. And that’s okay with me. Let the kids get up in Switzerland...or Memphis, Tennessee.”

″ ‘Strength for what?’ Stephen’s face showed genuine interest. ‘To have the strength to accept all that life offers - good and bad.‘”

“All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again.”

“You’re more interested in the sound of your own tongue than in anything else.”

“How is he become like Gilgamish suddenly? In form he is shorter. In ........ he is made powerful.”

“I have often felt that I would find it more complicated, troublesome and unpleasant to ascertain the feelings by which a woman lives than to plumb the innermost thoughts of an earthworm.”