Mary Anne and the Memory Garden Quotes

“Reverend Downey tried to focus the service on remembering happy days with Amelia, but all I could think about was the unfairness of life.

How was it possible that an irresponsible drunk could cause an accident, kill a perfectly innocent girl and walk away almost without a scratch? There seemed to be no justice in the world.”
― Ann M. Martin, Mary Anne and the Memory Garden

“I walked the halls that day, seeing life in a new scary light. My world, which had seemed so solid and comfortable, felt as if it had been hit by an earthquake.

My emotions flipped from sadness to fear to despair as I realized that, if someone as wonderful as Amelia could be taken from us this way, so could anyone. At any moment. And for no reason.

When the last bell had finally rung, and I’d said good-bye to Logan and Kristy and my other friends, I trudged home feeling like the oldest person on the planet.”
― Ann M. Martin, Mary Anne and the Memory Garden

“Even after Mr. Kingbridge and Mrs. Amer left the stage, no one moved. The thought of going to class seemed absurd, but there really wasn’t anything we could do except cry. For Amelia. For her family. And for ourselves.

We (practically every member of the Baby-sitters Club) sat in the auditorium for nearly an hour. Every few minutes one of us would break down and cry.

It just didn’t seem possible that something so awful could have happened to someone our age, someone we knew.”
― Ann M. Martin, Mary Anne and the Memory Garden

“As I said, Kristy is the most outgoing, outspoken member of the club. And usually nothing is as important to her as the Baby-sitters Club and making sure it stays ship-shape, but now she could barely concentrate on it.

“Do you want to lie down or something, Kristy?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I’m not ill. It’s just so … so sad, about Amelia.” Kristy bit her lip, trying hard not to burst into tears. “Why Amelia? What did she do to deserve this?”

This was very weird. Amelia and Kristy were friends, but not close friends. In fact, I knew Amelia better than Kristy did.

I could understand why Kristy was upset that someone our age had died, but I couldn’t understand why Kristy was having more trouble than the rest of us accepting the bad news.”
― Ann M. Martin, Mary Anne and the Memory Garden

“Mallory and Jessi had gotten another report.

“Benny Ott told me he heard it was a family of four in the car,” Mallory said, “but only the daughter was killed.”

“So it’s a girl,” Claudia said in a shaky voice.

Outside the cafeteria, I could see several girls sobbing and hugging each other. I watched as Trevor Sandbourne put his arm around his girlfriend, who wept into his shoulder.

Part of me wanted to ask them to tell me what they knew, but another part of me didn’t know if I could bear the news. Clearly, whoever had been killed had a lot of friends at SMS. Was I one of them?”
― Ann M. Martin, Mary Anne and the Memory Garden

“Logan voiced what we all were thinking. “The teachers must know who it was. We’ll probably find out this morning.”

“The other kids may know right now,” Stacey murmured. “I mean, look at the schoolyard. Usually everyone’s laughing and talking, and running around. But everything seems so still.”

Stacey was right. It did look different. Kids stood together in tight little groups. Every so often, someone would glance over her shoulder at the building, but there wasn’t the usual joking chatter. There was barely any sound.”
― Ann M. Martin, Mary Anne and the Memory Garden

“Normally, my friends and I laugh and joke while we walk to school. Not today. Just the thought that someone we knew might have died put a dark cloud over everything.

The main building of Stoneybrook Middle School loomed in the distance, and my heart started thudding faster. I think everyone’s did.”
― Ann M. Martin, Mary Anne and the Memory Garden

“I think what’s hardest to accept,” I said, trying to keep my voice from breaking, “is that we’ll never see Amelia again. Death is so, so final.”

Mrs. Simon pursed her lips. I could see she was trying not to cry, too.

“It does seem that way. But remember, Mary Anne, Amelia will live on in our memories.”

That made me think of the last image I had of Amelia. The moment when she was leaving my house and paused to smile at me over her shoulder.

Her cheeks were flushed pink from the excitement at our meeting and her grin seemed to stretch from ear to ear. Amelia was so full of joy and life. How could she be gone?”
― Ann M. Martin, Mary Anne and the Memory Garden

“Stoneybrook Middle School (SMS) can be a real zoo. Especially after a break. Today, it seemed as if there were twice the usual number of students in the hall, and they were all talking at the tops of their lungs. Maybe that’s why I was so confused.”
― Ann M. Martin, Mary Anne and the Memory Garden

“Josh’s arm was in a cast, and his face was covered with bruises. Mr. Freeman had a large bandage on his forehead, and Mrs. Freeman was on crutches. They looked as if the world had defeated them.”
― Ann M. Martin, Mary Anne and the Memory Garden

“Everyone in the club is thirteen and in the eighth grade, except for our junior officers, Mallory Pike and Jessica Ramsey. Mal and Jessi are best friends. They are eleven years old and in the sixth grade. Both have pierced ears, and both adore horses — and any movie, book, or video game that has a horse in it. I don’t know how many times they’ve read Marguerite Henry’s Misty of Chincoteague, but I do know they’ve seen The Black Stallion at least twenty times. They recite the lines along with the actors. (I don’t recommend watching it with them.)”
― Ann M. Martin, Mary Anne and the Memory Garden