A lot of the world seems to repeat itself

— Emma Donoghue

And it did me no good to recall particular conversations (if indeed these were particular conversations I was remembering so vividly, rather than inventions of my uneasy brain). Remembering clarified nothing.

— Emma Donoghue

And tonight Mary could taste bitterness going down like a nut, settling in her stomach. It planted itself, put down roots, and began to grow, nourished on her dark blood.

— Emma Donoghue

And why must it always be presumed that a woman's views are based on personal considerations?

— Emma Donoghue

Any subject we exclude from fiction will drop from our culture's memory.

— Emma Donoghue

At the door, there was one of those moment when two people realize that they like each other more than they know each other. This is nicer than the opposite situation, but more awkward. You try to remember the protocol for touching. You hate to gush, or presume too much, yet you are unwilling to let the moment pass without some gesture

— Emma Donoghue

Daffy bent down suddenly, and picked a small startled white flower. "Anemone," he said, handing it over; he made her repeat the word until she had it right. "Find me a silk to match that.

— Emma Donoghue

[E]everywhere I'm looking at kids, adults mostly don't seem to like them, not even the parents do. They call the kids gorgeous and so cute, they make the kids do the thing all over again so they can take a photo, but they don't want to actually play with them, they'd rather drink coffee talking to other adults. Sometimes there's a small kid crying and the Ma of it doesn't even hear.

— Emma Donoghue

Everybody's damaged by something.

— Emma Donoghue

...everyone goes home in the end.

— Emma Donoghue