“My parents left him there when he was five because some people think when a person looks different on the outside, they're different on the inside too." She looked at Lilly. "But we know that's not true, right?" Lilly nodded.” PeopleLooksDifferent Book:The Life She Was Given Source: The Life She Was Given
“For some reason, she wanted to be with the animals more than the people. She couldn't describe how she felt about the animals or why she had such a strong need to see them, because she didn't understand it herself. But it was one of the reasons she was brave enough to venture out for the first time on her own. Maybe she was drawn to them because they understood what it was like to be locked up, with no control over what happened next. Maybe it was because her cat was the only one who had never let her down. Or maybe her love of animals was part of who she was, like the way her left foot turned in slightly, the way her fingers were long and thin, and the way her skin was white as snow. Whatever the cause, seeing the baby elephant and the other animals was the only thing she cared about right now.” PeopleCatAnimalsElephant Book:The Life She Was Given Source: The Life She Was Given
“Lilly made a face. She didn't have a gift. The elephants liked and trusted her. That was all. Her cat, Abby, used to be the same way. She did what Lilly wanted because they loved and trusted each other. Maybe people didn't give animals enough credit. They were smarter and had more feelings than anyone realized.” PeopleCatAnimalsElephants Book:The Life She Was Given Source: The Life She Was Given
“When she told Fletcher what had happened, he said people who were cold and aggressive were not happy people. They treated others the way they did because they were unhappy within themselves. She wasn't sure if she believed him, but she appreciated his efforts to help. After all, she had been unhappy most of her life, and she always tried hard, maybe too hard, to be kind to others. She had heard the saying that those who hurt others had been hurt themselves. But she didn't believe that either. She had been hurt and knew how awful it felt, so she tried not to hurt anyone. Maybe some people never learned.” PeopleHurtColdTreatmentUnhappinessAggressive Book:The Life She Was Given Source: The Life She Was Given