White Gardenia Quotes

“As André and I left for South America, the newspaper boys were screaming headlines like: 'Stocks Collapse: Nationwide stampede to unload'; 'Unexpected torrent of liquidation'; and 'Two and a half billion in savings lost'. The worst part was the stories of ruined businessmen leaping from windows thirty storeys high and from the Brooklyn Bridge.
'If they calmed down things would stabilise faster. They might even see opportunities for fortunes to be made,' said André.
I nodded my agreement. But I knew something that André didn't; something those businessmen might have known too. I knew what it was like to be poor--and that once you had become rich, anything was better than being poor again.”
― Belinda Alexandra, Wild Lavender

“I remembered my conversation with Myles Dunphy when I agreed to join him in the fight to save the blue gum forest. 'Opportunities are made, Mrs Rockcliffe,' he had said. 'They don't happen of themselves. I don't want to read about the achievements of people with verve. I want to be one of those people myself. It's not enough to be intelligent and thoughtful. You have to be bold.”
― Belinda Alexandra, Silver Wattle

“I realise there was little we could say to each other that wouldn't inflict some sort of pain. ... It was easier for people living in the aftermath to ask nothing rather than trespassing on each other's fragile memories. p240”
― Belinda Alexandra, White Gardenia

“No one misses out on the hardness of life. Everyone just tries to find what happiness and beauty they can. p343”
― Belinda Alexandra, White Gardenia

“All my life precious people had come and gone and I was learning not to cling to anyone anymore. p273”
― Belinda Alexandra, White Gardenia