"The dwarf’s eyes widened—at least I think they widened, since they became much more visible in his hairy face—and he froze.“Would you prefer to retrieve the missive yourself, M’lady Wisp?” he asked.“I’d rather not,” I said. No way was I touching some strange dude’s vest, no matter how impressive his beard."

"The fly that should be dead and the dog that should be dead in the house that should be dead, and the bride, who would be dead soon.It watched approvingly, appreciating the complexities—and fragilities—of life."

"He could have killed me for the blunder— which really wasn’t my fault— but I was lucky , and he gave me another chance. The two officers who questioned him were also incredibly lucky for not having had any idea who it was they’d been questioning."

"We thought we'd seen it all. The real horror of war is always waiting for you at home. It's waiting, I tell you. We were so damned happy when we got back. We'd made it. We survived. But it's always waiting. Waiting. You let down your guard. And there it is. You can't ever let up. Give up."

"A very smart woman once told me that anger can feel like a life buoy, like it's the only thing keeping you afloat, but that in order to heal you have to let go."