At times, it's like sadness has planted itself on her face, refusing to leave, an overwhelming sadness, and sometimes I see despair there, too.

— Melina Marchetta

Because today, I think I'm leaning on the side of wonder.

— Melina Marchetta

Because without our language, we have lost ourselves. Who are we without our words?

— Melina Marchetta

But From looked around with wonder. As if he had never seen the world from up so high before.

— Melina Marchetta

But grief makes a monster out of us sometimes. . . And sometimes you say and do things to the people you love that you can't forgive yourself for.

— Melina Marchetta

But grieving people are selfish. They won’t let you comfort them, and they say you don’t understand, and they make you feel useless when all your life you’ve been functional to them.

— Melina Marchetta

But I want to give in to it sometimes, only because I'm tired and the feeling that I've had for a while-that something is haunting me down-becomes all consuming, and I'm frightened that one morning there will be not enough to keep me going.

— Melina Marchetta

But say he forgets about me or meets someone else or pretends I don't exist. I look at her and then at Trina and Taffy." Teresa, Teresa. Have we taught you nothing?" Taffy says in an irritated voice. "It's war. You go in, and you hunt him down until he realizes that he's made a mistake"Teresa looks hopeful." It's not as if men haven't gone to war for dumber reasons" Trina adds.

— Melina Marchetta

But then From looked back to where his work lay unfinished, and it made him sad because there had been something about the touch of earth in his hands that made him feel worthwhile.

— Melina Marchetta

City people. They may know how to street fight, but they don't know how to wade through manure.

— Melina Marchetta