The Understatement of the Year Quotes

“He kissed me between the shoulder blades. “Getting along together was never the problem with you and me,” he said. “We’re both easy. It’s just the rest of the world that’s hard.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“Every kiss still felt like a gift, because I knew how much they cost him.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“It turns out that trying to ignore somebody is about the most, exhausting thing in the world.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“Have fun tonight...And take care in all the usual ways, boys. Say no to drugs, and drinking and driving. Yes to seat belts and condoms.
--Granny Rikker to Johnny & Mike”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“The thing is, each new person who learns the truth lets you breathe a little easier. And then the one after that is a little easier. And so on.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“There’s a reporter up my ass, and it’s your fucking fault,” he barked. There was a tense silence, and then I heard Coach chuckle. “Really?” He stood his ground, even though the other guy was practically spitting into his mouth. “That can’t be true. Because I thought you had a team policy against taking anything up the ass.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“There weren't any time-outs, though. Not in life, and not in hockey.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“We'd been so close all those years ago. My subconscious just couldn't get over the idea that we weren't anymore.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“Thanks! Coach’s wife asked me to bring her a glass of white wine. Do you think she meant the chardonnay, or the pinot blanc?” “Sorry, Bella, but I’m not that kind of gay friend. I wouldn’t know a pinot blanc if it bit me in the ass.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“cheerfully dragged me into the package store. (That’s what you call a liquor store in Connecticut,”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“Changing on the fly: the substitution of players between the ice and the bench while the clock is running.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“Faceoff: the start of play, in which the referee drops the puck between two opposing players.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“I felt the thrum of expectation just from breathing the same air that he did.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“It would be impossible to explain it, because no plausible explanation existed. Fear wasn't a good enough reason to do what I'd done.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“My desire for him was there whether I wanted it or not. And if I could figure out how to just own up to it, maybe I could get some peace.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“For some reason, my mind picked that moment to realize just how fucked up our relationship really was. There were people in the world who would have used the word “perverse” to describe the things that Graham and I did in the bedroom. But they had it backwards. What was really perverse was the way we pretended like we didn’t know each other all the other times.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“If ever there was a holy shit moment for me, it would be that one. Because you can’t bend over in the shower for your gay boyfriend and pretend that your life hasn’t totally changed course.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year

“Just looking across at him made it hard for me to swallow. What a mess we were: one gay guy who tried to be out, and it had only led to disaster. And one… I didn’t want to classify Graham. Only Graham could classify Graham. But whatever Graham was, he didn’t make it look easy.”
― Sarina Bowen, The Understatement of the Year