Weeping is terrible for the complexion" said Leonie, holding Shayndel close, "but it is very good for the soul.

Since 1985, I have written about contemporary Jewish practice and the Jewish community.

The Sabbath is a weekly cathedral raised up in my dining room, in my family, in my heart.

I got nice rejections explaining that historical fiction was a difficult sell. But I kept trying.

Why did I not know that birth is the pinnacle where women discover the courage to become mothers?

The painful things seemed like knots on a beautiful necklace, necessary for keeping the beads in place.

The more a daughter knows the details of her mother's life [...] the stronger the daughter.

One of his tears fell in my mouth, where it became a blue sapphire, source of strength, source of strength and eternal hope.

I tell writers to keep reading, reading, reading. Read widely and deeply. And I tell them not to give up even after getting rejection letters. And only write what you love.

My husband, Jim, converted to Judaism just before our wedding.

One of my great secrets was knowing I had the power to make her smile.

He simply translated what was in LuLing's heart: her better intentions, her hopes.

Truth and untruth weave the seamless web of human nature.

One of the bitterest ironies of life is that one truly appreciates a blessing only after having been deprived of it or imagining that.

Self-improvement is a dangerous form of vanity.

Also, when you escape a Communist regime, you treasure liberty and you understand that as government and state expand, liberty must contract.

Nerves, stress and the pressure to perform are a part of life. You don't have to conquer these feelings; just learn to live with them.

Real food doesn't have ingredients, real food is ingredients.

I don't have a girlfriend, I have a dog.

Even when I was dizzy with vodka, that smile never failed to make my heart speed up.

If everything appears meaningless then congratulations to you! You have started on the path. This is the first sign of intelligence, of waking up.