From the Desk of Zoe Washington Quotes

“Maybe it’s ok to do something wrong if you’re doing it for the right reason.”
― Janae Marks, From the Desk of Zoe Washington

“Do you think you can forgive Marcus now?” “Oh, honey,” she said, putting her hand on my shoulder. “If Marcus really is innocent, I hope you will forgive me for keeping him from you all these years. I hope you understand why I did it, that I was only trying to protect you. I still am, the best way I know how.”
― Janae Marks, From the Desk of Zoe Washington

“You can’t tell me you believe Marcus is guilty of murder. This is Marcus, the boy you used to love. I know he broke your heart, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to know his own daughter.” “If you ever, ever go behind my back like that again,” Mom said slowly, “I will not let you see Zoe anymore. Do you hear me?”
― Janae Marks, From the Desk of Zoe Washington

“Grandma took a deep breath. “For the past couple of months, I’ve helped Zoe send letters to Marcus. Now, before you—” “You what?” Mom yelled, looking back and forth between Grandma and me. I kept my mouth shut. “You had no right!” Mom said to Grandma. Grandma crossed her arms. “A daughter should be able to know her father, even if he is in prison.” “Father.” Mom laughed. “You’re kidding, right?” “Now, listen. You never gave him a chance to be a dad to Zoe.” “As if you don’t know why!” Mom said, lifting her hands in the air. “I mean, seriously, Mom.”
― Janae Marks, From the Desk of Zoe Washington

“But there was a tiny voice in the back of my brain. It told me to remember what I read in The Wrongfully Convicted, and in my research about the Innocence Project. It told me that Susan Thomas was out there somewhere, and she still might’ve seen Marcus that day. It told me not to lose hope. Not yet.”
― Janae Marks, From the Desk of Zoe Washington

“She had a pretty good voice, but she always said it was because of the bathroom acoustics. That was wrong, because my stepdad sometimes sang in the shower, and the acoustics didn’t stop him from sounding like a dying coyote.”
― Janae Marks, From the Desk of Zoe Washington

“I’d already waited twelve years to speak to Marcus. How much longer would I have to wait for the truth?”
― Janae Marks, From the Desk of Zoe Washington

“was a quick phone call. He couldn’t stay on long. But it was long enough for me to make sure that he isn’t trying to hurt you in any way.”
― Janae Marks, From the Desk of Zoe Washington

“The thing was, I knew Trevor way too well. Even though I only saw his face for a second, I knew what that look meant: (a) he didn’t want to be there either, and (b) he was still confused about why I was mad at him. Well, I wasn’t about to tell him. He should be able to figure it out for himself.”
― Janae Marks, From the Desk of Zoe Washington

“Even if you never reply to these letters, I’ll keep writing them. Though I hope you’ll write me back one day. In the meantime, I want you to know that I think about you every day.”
― Janae Marks, From the Desk of Zoe Washington

“What was the point of a legal system if it didn’t work a lot of the time?”
― Janae Marks, From the Desk of Zoe Washington