More Perfect than the Moon Quotes

“I’m going to town tomorrow,” said Papa, carrying plates to the house. “Who needs something wonderful?”
Papa looked at me.
“Want to come, Cassie? Buy something perfect?”
Mama smiled.
“I’ll have a new horse, if you don’t mind,” said Matthew.
“You could get me a buggy,” said Maggie. “With a leather top.”
“I’ll have another piece of cake,” said Grandfather, making everyone laugh.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“This is stupendous, Maggie,” he said. “Exquisite!”
He caught me looking at him.
“You and Caleb taught me about words.”
I nodded. Grandfather couldn’t read when he had come back to the farm. All the years of his life he couldn’t read. Until Caleb taught him.
“This cake is magnificent,” said Grandfather. “Tasty, lovely, glorious, stunning! Could I have another piece?”
“Don’t forget we have more haying to do,” said Matthew.
“This cake can only help,” said Grandfather.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“Cassie. I know some things,” said Mama.
“What things?”
“I know you watch me all the time,” said Mama.
I started to shake my head, but Mama stopped me.
“I saw you in the night, watching. I saw you watching me with the goslings. I know you’re afraid.”
“Grandfather told you,” I whispered.
“He didn’t have to tell me,” Mama said. “I’m smart, you know.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“Princess Violet and Caleb are very happy. They laugh all day long. Their children, Ondine and Tootie, are growing up, and Tootie is getting a little fat even though she eats only nuts and fruits.

Caleb smiled when I read this to him. He was nicer to me now. He didn’t seem to mind me writing stories about him. Sometimes he even liked them.
But writing was hard. Stories wouldn’t come, and I said so to Grandfather. He nodded.
“Maybe there’s too much going on, Cassie. Too much in your head, filling it up.”
“Mostly Mama and the terrible baby,” I said. “I do not plan to like that baby.”
Grandfather sat down next to me.
“Remember when I first came here? You didn’t much like me.”
I thought Grandfather was mean then. I thought he was hateful and cranky.
“You changed,” I said.
“You changed, too,” said Grandfather.
“You changed more,” I said, making Grandfather laugh.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“When’s the day, Sarah?” asked Maggie.
“Soon. A few weeks…a month? The end of summer. The truth is I’m too old for this. This baby,” said Mama. “I was too old when I came to live here.”
I looked quickly at Mama. What did she mean “too old”?
“No. I’m old,” said Papa.
“No, I’m old,” said Grandfather, making everyone laugh.
“Grandfather wins,” Caleb said.
Maggie put her arms around me.
“And Cassie, you are beautiful!”
No one had ever called me beautiful. They had called me sneaky and elusive and imaginative. Not beautiful.
“You look just like your mama.”
I frowned. I looked at Mama. Big.
“I think I look like Anna,” I said.
“Ah no,” said Maggie. “You have your mama’s smile and her eyes.”
I frowned again.
“Actually, I think Cassie looks like Eleni, the cow,” said Caleb.
There was laughter.
“No,” said Mama. “I look like Eleni.”
“Don’t worry, Sarah. Eleni is a very beautiful cow,” said Grandfather.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“What is the secret?” I asked.
Anna smiled.
“I knew you really weren’t tired of secrets.”
She held out her left hand for me to see. On her third finger was a gold ring, a sparkling stone in the middle.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“It means Justin and I are getting married,” said Anna. “No one else knows yet. I told you first.”
I turned my head and smiled at her and she smiled back.
“I saw you kiss him for a lot of seconds once,” I said.
“How many seconds?” asked Anna.
“Twenty-seven.”
A cloud slipped over the sun and it was cool for a moment.
“Cass?”
“What?”
“I passed that record a long time ago.”
Anna and I laughed. Someone called from the house and we went to tell Caleb and Grandfather and Mama and Papa that Anna was getting married and had kissed Justin for longer than twenty-seven seconds.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“It’s Matthew and Maggie,” said Papa.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“A baby,” said Mama.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“This is supposed to be Beatrice,” I whispered.
Mama smiled.
“That may be,” she whispered back to me, “but that is a strange name for a boy.”
A boy.
“I don’t have any words,” I said to Mama.
“I know,” she said. “But you will.”
All of a sudden I heard noises in the kitchen, Papa’s voice, and Caleb’s. Laughter from Grandfather. Then Papa stood at the door, looking pale and scared, Caleb behind him. And Grandfather.
“I brought you a perfect gift, Cassie!” Caleb blurted out.
“No,” I said, my voice soft. “The perfect gift is here.”
I looked up at Papa.
“He is a terrible baby.”
I smiled at Mama.
“But he’s more perfect than the moon.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“How is she?” called Maggie.
“I’ve been reading to her. Sometimes she laughs,” I said.
Maggie smiled and kissed me on the cheek.
“That’s wonderful,” she said. “I’ll go take care of her.”
She went past me, and when she did I felt suddenly safe again.
Grandfather sat heavily on a porch chair.
“It has been years since I galloped on a horse,” he said.
“You looked like a hero,” I whispered.
“Well then, I need a piece of cake,” he said.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“You know,” said Mama, “I’m going to go inside and rest. I feel tired.”
“I’ll come in, too,” I said.
“I’ll be in the barn,” said Grandfather. “I’ll come in later for a piece of cake.”
“Cakes don’t last forever,” said Mama.
“Not with Grandfather around,” I said.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“I’m not sure sheep are known for their good sense,” he said.
“Beatrice is unusual,” I said.
The goslings saw Mama and ran over.
“Madeleine, I believe you’re going to be the largest of the three of you,” said Mama. “And you, Margaret Louise, will always be the runt.”
“Small and lovely, you mean,” said Grandfather.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“Beatrice,” said Grandfather softly. “Don’t really see how Beatrice can have a name when her mother doesn’t have one.”
“I think her name is Beatrice’s Mother,” said Mama.
“What kind of a name is that?” asked Grandfather.
“It’s what we’ve got,” said Mama with a smile.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“I’ll stop at Anna’s for a bit,” Papa told her. “I’ll be home late afternoon.”
“I have Cassie here,” Mama said.
“And they both have me,” said Grandfather.
“Be sure to check that lamb,” said Papa.
“Beatrice,” I corrected Papa.
“Beatrice,” said Papa with a smile. “I’m not sure her mother knows what to do with her.”
The wagon started off, then stopped suddenly. Papa climbed down and came over and gave Mama a kiss.
“I forgot,” he said. “I’ll do that again when I get back.”
“All this kissing,” complained Grandfather.
“You should see Princess Violet and Caleb,” I said.
“Cassie,” warned Caleb.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“Cassie. I know some things,” said Mama.
“What things?”
“I know you watch me all the time,” said Mama.
I started to shake my head, but Mama stopped me.
“I saw you in the night, watching. I saw you watching me with the goslings. I know you’re afraid.”
“Grandfather told you,” I whispered.
“He didn’t have to tell me,” Mama said. “I’m smart, you know.”
She smiled.
“I am fine, Cassie. I am strong.”
“But you’re old,” I said.
“Older,” corrected Mama.
Mama sat down at the kitchen table.
“I’ll make a bargain with you, Cassie,” she said. “You don’t have to follow me everywhere anymore. You don’t have to hide behind doors.”
Mama had seen that, too?
“You don’t have to get up in the night and watch me, because I will let you know if I need you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll call you if I need something. I will call you when I’m going to have the baby.”
I sat down next to Mama.
“You will? You will do that?”
Mama nodded.
“I promise,” she said. “I promise, Cassie. You will be the first to know.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“Cassie? What are you doing?”
I jumped as Grandfather came up behind me.
“I’m watching Mama.”
“I can see that. You do it all the time. Why?”
“I have to!” I blurted it out.
Grandfather stared at me for a minute. Then he took my hand.
“Come with me,” he said.
I looked back at Mama.
“I can’t,” I repeated.
“Come,” repeated Grandfather, ignoring me.
He pulled me into the cool, dark barn. Caleb looked up from cleaning a bridle.
“Caleb. Your papa needs the bridles,” said Grandfather.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
Caleb picked up another bridle and went out to the field to hitch up the horses. He didn’t look at me.
Grandfather pointed to a wooden trunk.
“Sit there, Cassie.”
“I don’t have time, Grandfather.”
“Yes, you do.”
“You are still mean,” I told Grandfather.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“You know, I used to hide out here, too.”
I smiled.
“Grandfather says ‘you know’ all the time, too,” I said.
“So do you. I remember when you didn’t like Grandfather,” said Anna.
“I was scared of him.”
“Not anymore,” said Anna.
“Grandfather knows everything,” I said. “Sometimes that’s scary.”
Anna’s long hair was the color of corn. She had caught it back in a blue ribbon.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“Just came to visit. I brought some medicine for Grandfather. And to check on Sarah.”
Anna lived in town now and worked for Dr. Sam. Once I had hidden behind the Russian olive bushes and had seen her kiss Justin, Dr. Sam’s son. It was a long kiss and I had counted twenty-seven full seconds.
“And to see you, Cassie. And to tell you a secret.”
“I’m tired of secrets,” I said.
“You’re never tired of secrets, Cass, you know.”
Anna and I laughed at “you know.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“In the morning she is the last to get up,” I whispered to Caleb and Grandfather in the kitchen. “She is always, always, always the first one up.”
Caleb smiled at me.
“And how would you know that?” he asked. “We have to tumble you out of bed every morning.”
Grandfather was slicing bread for lunch.
“Once I carried you all the way down the stairs wrapped in a blanket,” he said. “I sat you at the breakfast table, and you were still asleep.”
I frowned at Caleb and Grandfather, which made them smile all the more.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon

“Caleb has found a princess. They meet in secret because they must.
They will marry soon and run away to live in wild Borneo, eating fruit and nuts from the bushes there. They will have two babies named Ondine and Tootie.

I read Caleb my words to tease him. It worked.
“Wild Borneo!” said Caleb very loudly. “Not true, Cassie. And she is not a princess! How can you write such things?”
“Papa told me to observe quietly. That is what I saw,” I said.
“It is a good story, though, Cassie,” said Grandfather, smiling.
“Thank you.”
“And Tootie is a very unusual name,” said Papa.
“Imaginative,” added Mama.
“Don’t encourage her, Sarah,” said Caleb. “Nothing she writes is the truth.”
― Patricia MacLachlan, More Perfect than the Moon