Thea

“certain concrete signs of optimism were no longer as central a part of the school experience: the smell of pencils, for instance, with their suggestion of woodshop and campgrounds and the promise of some precocious kid’s standout in-class essay.”
― Meg Wolitzer, The Uncoupling: A Novel

“Once, long ago, Dory and her infant daughter were riding a bus in the city, when an old woman leaned over and said, “May I tell you something, dear?” She had a kind face full of valleys and faults. Dory imagined she was about to describe the baby’s beauty—in particular, the curve of the mouth—and she made her own mouth assume a knowing, pleased modesty. But what the woman said, leaning even closer, was, “You will never have another day in your life that is free of anxiety.”
― Meg Wolitzer, The Uncoupling: A Novel

“If my diary is ever published, it can’t be called Old Sore. I have come up with the following alternatives: 1. Down the Drain 2. The Living End 3. Over and Out 4. Not the Bee’s Knees 5. The Last Hurrah 6. Smoke Signals in a Hurricane (Sounds good but doesn’t really apply here) 7. Flies on the Caviar (ditto)”
― Hendrik Groen, The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old

“Revenge, in theory, throbbed with adrenaline and was clean with conviction. In reality, it was rushing into a house on fire, and forgetting to map out your exit.”
― Jodi Picoult, A Spark of Light