After the War Quotes

“I want someone to pinch me so I can feel something, anything. I'm sick of this numbness, of feeling so alone and outside of everything, but I know it's too dangerous to wake up."

—Ruth Mendenberg”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“(B)ut who can start over when memories never leave you?

—Ruth Mendenberg”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“Deep inside me something says don't feel anything, go back to sleep, when you feel, it hurts. When you love, people die."

—Ruth Mendenberg”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“I am wandering inside, wandering through my past, trying to see if there is a place there strong enough to hold me.

—Ruth Mendenberg”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“Haven't we all been hurt? Don't you think it takes courage to be happy, to feel, to love? Don't you think it costs us all?

—Rivka”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“I go in alone, for there is no one for me, but I don't care, I tell myself; I'd expected no one.


—Ruth”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“(S)omehow I've survived again. I don't know how to stop.

—Ruth”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“Ruth. If I die tomorrow, I'll be dead. But while I'm here, I want to be alive. One or the other. Not the state you're in.”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“Ruth. If I die tomorrow, I'll be dead. But while I'm here, I want to be alive. One or the other. Not the state your'e in.”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“I agree that we can't be weak. We can fight when attacked, of course, but should we become the attackers?”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“We only have now. nobody really has more than that. The difference is, we know it.”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“You've lived through all this, Ruth. Do you know how strong that makes you? Ruth, it takes more work to be afraid than to ride the fear, to live with the fear, to accept it.”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“You're a coward," she says, "afraid to feel anything in case you get hurt. Well, look around. Haven't we all been hurt? Don't you think it takes courage to be happy, to feel, to love? Don't you think it costs us all?
I stare at her. "Fine, I'm a coward. I'd rather be a coward than have to feel anything ever again.”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“That's what I believe, God exists. God is there. But God doesn't decide what happens here on earth; we do. God gave us free will and we have to use it."

~Zvi”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“We are alive, but what is left of us?”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“I am wandering inside, wandering through my past, trying to see if there is a place there strong enough to hold me.”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“If I forget the bad, I have to forget the good, too. The memories are all I have now of my family. And I don't want to lose them.”
― Carol Matas, After the War

“You don't think we can love each other?" She challenges me.
"Sure, of course you can. But he could be dead tomorrow," I warn. "Or you could."
"And is that a reason not to love someone?" She asks
"Yes." I reply "Yes, it is.”
― Carol Matas, After the War