The Language of Sisters Quotes

“I am emotionally screwed up, but I put on a front and fake it so I can function. Sometimes I wonder how many other people are doing the same thing.”
― Cathy Lamb, The Language of Sisters

“I was a little girl, in the frigid cold of Moscow, under the looming shadow of the Soviet Union, my coat too small, my shoes too tight, my stomach an empty shell. I was desperate. We were desperate. Survival stealing, my sisters and I called it. Had we not stolen, we might not have survived.”
― Cathy Lamb, The Language of Sisters

“Maybe it was the simple beauty of the exquisite emerald islands. Maybe it was being outside again, finding myself, the self that I’d lost after Marty had died. Maybe it was time. Time to know that I would always love Marty, but he was gone, and I had grieved so deeply I wanted to die and I didn’t want to want to die anymore. I wanted to live.”
― Cathy Lamb, The Language of Sisters

“We grew to love living in Oregon. No men in uniform ever came in the middle of the night and dragged my father out and beat him half to death, then dumped him in front of our apartment. No one ever attacked my mother. There were no bloody cloths to deal with. There was no pneumonia that could not be treated immediately. There was always food. The first time we went to a grocery store, none of us could speak.”
― Cathy Lamb, The Language of Sisters

“I pulled Dmitry onto my lap and rocked him, then I sang a song. He quieted, then went back into his semi-comatose state and finally fell asleep. My parents sighed with relief, then we all went back to being petrified.”
― Cathy Lamb, The Language of Sisters

“Shamira texted me that night. “Leroy Barton threatened to kill your sister. She knows. Will be in paper tomorrow. When is your mother making those lamb shish kabob things again, do you know?” I called my mama, asked her. “Tell Shamira I make for her on Saturday.” I told Shamira. “I can’t wait. Thanks, Toni. Sorry about the death threat for Valerie.”
― Cathy Lamb, The Language of Sisters

“Shamira texted me that night. “Leroy Barton threatened to kill your sister. She knows. Will be in paper tomorrow. When is your mother making those lamb shish kabob things again, do you know?”
― Cathy Lamb, The Language of Sisters

“Unless you are in the hospital you are expected to come to all family activities. However, if you are in the hospital, the dinner will be brought to you, because you cannot possibly eat hospital food, my goodness no. It will kill you. Russian food will build your strength up again, and here is a small shot of vodka.”
― Cathy Lamb, The Language of Sisters

“I have learned that what we want from life, and what we get, are often two very different things”
― Cathy Lamb, The Language of Sisters

“We brush away the tears, and we get on with life. We always have things to do.”
― Cathy Lamb, The Language of Sisters