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Quote by Jennifer Donnelly

“They were not pretty, these women. Pretty did not begin to describe them. They were shrewd. Powerful. Wily. Proud. Dangerous. They were strong. There were brave. They were beautiful.”

Quote by Jennifer Donnelly

Work

Stepsister

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Author

Jennifer Donnelly
Jennifer Donnelly

Jennifer Donnelly is an American author known for her historical novels and young adult literature. Her works are renowned for their rich historical background and profound emotional descriptions, which have won her a wide following among readers. more

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“The witch reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a light brown chamois bag about the size of a playing card. “Maybe this will help you. It’ll boost your self-esteem.” Now we’re getting somewhere. Riley took the bag and opened it. She looked to the bottom to find … nothing. “Ah, it’s empty.” “Of course,” Ayden replied. “It’s up to you to fill it. Find things that mean something to you, that represent times where you’ve overcome an obstacle, learned something important. Put those items in the bag and they’ll help you find your strength.”

“I want to have the heart and mind of a queen,” she whispered. “I want it more than anything. But I’m only pretending. I can’t find the feeling of it inside me.” Fire considered her quietly. You want me to look for it inside you. “I just want to know,” Bitterblue said. “If it’s there, it would be a great comfort for me to know.” Fire said, I can tell you already that it’s there. “Really?” Bitterblue whispered. Queen Bitterblue, Fire said, shall I share with you the feeling of your own strength?”

“These times are hard, but I won't walk away jaded, darker, different. I feel. I cry to heal. If you saw me in those moments, maybe you'd think I was a mess. But I don't call it a mess. I call it strength. Real strength isn't about building walls. Real strength is about staying open, no matter what. It's about taking life—with all the pleasures that fade and all the pain that sticks around for too long—and not shutting down, not closing down, not building up those walls. Resilience isn't hard, impenetrable, iron. Resilience is flexible, soft, warm. Stay strong. The real kind of strong. Don't let your automatic mind reflexes make you jump away from pain and towards pleasure. Make choices. See clearly. And never, ever, stop feeling. Don't go numb. The world, even with all its horror, is too beautiful to miss.”