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Quote by Miriam Toews

“She (mom) yelled from upstairs, Those are books that help me to live! Those books are my life! Get down here! I yelled back. I'm your goddamn life!”

Quote by Miriam Toews

Work

Fight Night

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Author

Miriam Toews
Miriam Toews

Miriam Toews is a Canadian writer known for her unique narrative style and profound insights into social issues. Her works often focus on religion, family, and social change, and have won her a wide readership. more

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“Would you please come out?" now looked down at her tattered dress and hesitated. That's when she heard her mother's voice in her head again, another memory from long ago. They'd encountered some beggars in the village and she recalled asking her mother why they dressed so differently. You must look past appearances, Snow, she remembered her mother telling her. A person's true worth is always found within.”

“You seem preoccupied," she said. He shrugged. "It is nothing. "Oh," she said, working at her leather. "I thought it might be Daia." "Well, it is not," he said too quickly. Moussa tried to escape his mother's gaze, but he had never been able to do that successfully. Now he saw no need to pretend. "She is Mahdi's woman. They are to be married. She has said it, and Mahdi has said it." Serena put down her knife. "And what have you said?" "That I will not interfere." "I am not asking of your head, Moussa. I am asking of your heart.". "It is the same thing." She smiled at that. "I don't know how you can be so quick to show a camel your feeling for it, Moussa, and so slow to show a woman.”

“The first glance at the pillow showed me a repulsive sentinel perched upon each end of it--cockroaches as large as peach leaves--fellows with long, quivering antennae and fiery, malignant eyes. They were grating their teeth like tobacco worms, and appeared to be dissatisfied about something. I had often heard that these reptiles were in the habit of eating off sleeping sailors' toe nails down to the quick, and I would not get in the bunk any more. I lay down on the floor. But a rat came and bothered me, and shortly afterward a procession of cockroaches arrived and camped in my hair. In a few moments the rooster was crowing with uncommon spirit and a party of fleas were throwing double somersaults about my person in the wildest disorder, and taking a bite every time they stuck. I was beginning to feel really annoyed. I got up and put my clothes on and went on deck. The above is not overdrawn; it is a truthful sketch of inter-island schooner life.”