When the Tides Held the Moon Quotes

“Don’t waste your damn life trying to smother a spark what wants to be a blaze.”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“To give you my name is to give you the last of myself, and humanity has taken enough from me. My name is my own. You may not have it.”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“I thought of what Igor said about Rio and me, water and fire. Whether or not humanity deserved it, Rio was the sort to pour himself out in compassion for humans. Me? I wanted to burn down the world”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“Revealing your truth is like swimming, Benigno. It may not come naturally or easily. But in still waters, it can be learned," he said firmly, his hair painting a rusty halo around his shoulders.”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“I have given it some thought, and what I think is this: Guarding your heart because it has been broken is not una estupidez.”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“Salt water has healing properties. That is why our tears are made of it. Why should you hold them in?”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“And if I was you, I’d take a long look at my pale-ass face in the mirror and think about how that Caribbean kid crossed an ocean for a slice of freedom America ain’t never gonna give him.”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“Lo que no se dice, no se sabe,”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“It was fascinating work, easy to disappear into if you had a brain full of noise like mine.”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“I didn’t usually like poking around the old”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“You do not remember your family?'

...'Tití tried to find them after the storm...[E]veryone figured my family got washed out in the rapids with the hundreds of other boricuas who disappeared.'

Río held himself like he was bracing against a chill. 'You speak as though it does not pain you.'

'I ain't gonna cry about it,' I said, tucking San Cristóbal back into my shirt. 'You can't change what happened. Better to just accept it and move on.'

'Benigno.' He brought himself upright again. 'Do you mean to say you do not cry?'

...'What does that matter?'

'It -matters,' he insisted. 'Salt water has healing properties. That is why our tears are made of it. Why should you hold them in?”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“be. And it shouldn’t take me having to vouch for his soul to justify his right to be free.”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“I took it. Balanced solidly on his one leg, he helped me to my feet.”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“Merciful Neptune, have you no compassion for yourself?” The answer, we both knew, was no,”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“like time is a thing you can outswim if you fill it up with enough doing.”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“Benigno, why in the Seven Seas should it matter who we love?”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon

“Lulu’s face drooped with the exhaustion of every mother whose nene caused more problems than she had fixes for.”
― Venessa Vida Kelley, When the Tides Held the Moon