The Memory Box

by Kathryn Hughes

‘Colpo di fulmine, the Italians call it. A lightning strike. Love at first sight.’

‘Love at first sight can often be cured by taking a second look.’

‘Sometimes circumstances can push you in the wrong direction and you end up making bad decisions. Sometimes decisions are taken out of your hands and fate intervenes.’

Love should be the final goal of a marriage, not a prerequisite.

an old Italian proverb: “When women take up a cause, you can assume it has been won.”’

but it’s a toxic love, one that will end up eating away at your self-esteem until there’s nothing left of you.’

We can’t cherry-pick the parts of our story we’d like to keep. Our lives are a melting pot of regrets, triumphs, sorrow and joy. You have to accept it all.’