At Home in the World is the story of a young woman, raised in some difficult circumstances, and how she survives. It tells a story of redemption, not victimhood.

She felt everything too deeply, it was like the world was too much for her.

It's not only children who grow. Parents do too.

A person who deserves my loyalty receives it.

The big dramas that fascinate me are the quiet ones that happen behind closed doors in so-called ordinary families.

The painter who feels obligated to depict his subjects as uniformly beautiful or handsome and without flaws will fall short of making art.

To share our stories is not only a worthwhile endeavor for the storyteller, but for those who hear our stories and feel less alone because of it.

My job is writing. I get paid to do it. When was the last time you heard someone challenge a doctor for making money off of cancer?

The portrait of my parents is a complicated one, but lovingly drawn.

Those who rhapsodize about the ease and joy of childhood have perhaps forgotten what it's like to be 12 years old.

Before I had children I always wondered whether their births would be, for me, like the ultimate in gym class failures. And I discovered instead... that I'd finally found my sport.

Even After All this timeThe Sun never says to the Earth, "You owe me."LookWhat happensWith a love like that, It lights the whole sky.

They both fell silent. For a while the only sound they could hear was the noise of books resting on shelves, which wasn’t really enough of a sound to distract them from the awkwardness of the moment.

A rhythm becomes a habit when we can no longer hear the music.

Renee: “Trout, get your mind out of the gutter.”Trout: “Can’t help it—it’s attached to my body.

Are you full of the Holy Spirit? Then you will be full of mercy, kindness and love.

The displacement of water is equal to the something of something.

It's hard for me to show work while I'm writing, because other people's comments will influence what happens.

I'm not going to just fade out, I know.

That which enters the mind through reason can be corrected. That which is admitted through faith, hardly ever.

If you're wearing a jacket, as I always am, the sweater vest always needs to be buttoned, with the exception of the bottom button. But if you're going sans jacket, you can leave it open.