All the characters in this book are fictional, but they are as real to me as the members of my own family. I had to tell their story because they could not.

Peace be upon you, for you have persevered! How excellent, then, this fulfilment in the hereafter!

There were opium-dens, where one could buy oblivion, dens of horror where the memory of old sins could be destroyed by the madness of sins that were new.

Everything changes but change itself.

Vegetarian food leaves a deep impression on our nature. If the whole world adopts vegetarianism, it can change the destiny of humankind.

With all art expression, when something is seen, it is a vivid experience, sudden, compelling, and inevitable.

I like to go where the life is.

Reading has always been in the chief joy, a never-ending topic of conversation, and often a lifesaver, in my family.

No matter what storm you face, you need to know God loves you. He has not abandoned you.

People will often say "You can't change other people." My research shows this societal belief is not only dis-empowering, it is scientifically false.

"I hope your hair curls naturally, does it?" "Yes, darling, with a little help from others."