The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy Quotes

“If you treat him like he’s bad, then he’ll act bad. But if you say nice things to him, if you take care of him, if you treat him like he’s worth taking care of, well . . . then he’ll be good.”
― Anne Ursu, The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy

“Is it worse to hurt because you know what’s happening, or because you don’t?”
― Anne Ursu, The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy

“Weavers are asked to record history, and in recording history we are creating history, you understand? So we have this symbol we add to tapestries when we think the story it tells is false.”
― Anne Ursu, The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy

“When you hear a story powerful people tell about themselves, and you’re wondering if it’s true,” Madame said, “ask yourself, who does the story serve?”
― Anne Ursu, The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy

“If a boy was chosen, the family was immediately taken to live on a sorcerer’s estate, where the boy would serve as an apprentice for the next decade, studying sorcery. Eventually he would be given an estate of his own. His parents would live on a cottage on the estate, and his sister—well, his sister would sit around until she came of age and was married off to another sorcerer’s brother or cousin or nephew or lonely uncle with fish-breath, where she could become someone else’s problem. That was what she’d do.”
― Anne Ursu, The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy

“One day, a few months after Marya had started working there, Madame had sent the boys to their room, led her into her workroom, and put a book in front of her. “I would like to teach you to read,” she said firmly. “I imagine your parents have not done so?” Marya had gaped at the book, then at Madame Bandu, probably looking much like a fish. No, they hadn’t taught her. Her mother could read, yes, but never seemed to think Marya needed to. Madame Bandu nodded, even though Marya hadn’t spoken. “Reading is power,” she said, her voice soft. “I would ask you not to tell your parents—since they did not teach you, I can only assume they would not like it. Do you understand?”
― Anne Ursu, The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy

“But at this moment Marya wasn’t worried about stickiness, nostril tickling, or deliberate flies. Because yesterday she had put honey in Luka’s undergarments, and today she could expect retribution. Why had she put honey in his underthings? Two reasons: First, her older brother had spent his entire life being told by everyone that he had a great destiny; someone had to put honey in his underwear. Second, he had started it.”
― Anne Ursu, The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy

“And they were safe because she and Elana had come back. Because they had decided to head toward the monster, to help the girls who had become their friends, despite everything the headmaster had done to divide them. “As you can see, Marya,” he said, “it would have been best for you to have stayed where you were, and trusted us to handle everything.” It all sounded so true. The things he said about her sounded exactly like what everyone else had always said about her, from the beginning. It sounded exactly like the thing she said about herself when it was late at night and she had nothing but her own thoughts to keep her company. Somehow, she thought then of Madame Bandu at her loom, showing Marya the crescent moon at the bottom of the tapestry. “Marya,” the headmaster said, “have I lost you? Where did your head go? I understand this might cause you a lot of distress—” She stared up at him. Who does the story serve? Him. He benefited if she felt like she was inept, foolish, useless, weak. But she”
― Anne Ursu, The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy