“I shuffle along, letting the current pull me, and i have the sense that I am like a rat caught in a maze of tunnels, moving endlessly toward some promise of...of what? Light? Life? Cheese?” LifeSchoolHopeLonelinessCora Book:A Map of the Known World Source: A Map of the Known World
“When I reach the end of one row, I continue straight on away from the barn and the farm and the road. I walk until I come to a pile of hay bales and plop myself down. The sun is bright and the air is sharp. In the distance I hear the lowing of cows. It's so peaceful here. "Merry Christmas, " I whisper to myself. "Merry Christmas, Nate.” LifeHopePeaceSadnessLonelinessChristmasCoraNate Book:A Map of the Known World Source: A Map of the Known World
“Nate liked Death. Death was in the clothes that he wore and the music he listened to. He would wrap himself in a black sweater and ask Death to ride along with him in his Honda Civic.” LifeDeathCoraNate Book:A Map of the Known World Source: A Map of the Known World
“I wish I could say we all lived happily ever after. I can't. But I can say we lived. Our love for Nate lives, and he's left us this piece of himself in his art; it was his gift to us. We know him through his art, and I can take comfort in that. I guess the thing about high school is, it's the moment when you start to cross from a being a kid to being an adult, and this journey to know yourself begins. Nate's journey ended to early, and I thought I had to run away to some far-off land to start mine. But, for now, it seems to me that I have enough to explore right here. There's a whole continent to discover in myself, and I know that it's love - love for my parents, my friends, my brother, and my art - that will guide me. Love will be my map.” LoveLifeArtFriendshipSadnessLonelinessQuoteGuidanceExperiencesFondnessLife ChangesCora Book:A Map of the Known World Source: A Map of the Known World
“As I say the words, I realize how true they are. And maybe that's the trick to getting through it, through life: realizing that everybody, including ourselves, is lugging around some kind of screwed-up baggage. Maybe we are put here to help each other carry the loads.” LifeKindHelpingRealizingIncludingTricksLoadBaggageScrewed UpHelping Each Other Book:A Map of the Known World Source: A Map of the Known World
