Island Girls Quotes
"To simplify your life...vanquished the ghosts of the past."
"Everyone knew Arden’s only love was her work."
"A storybook house. A house with many stories."
"Her mother would say only that she didn’t know who Jenny’s father was, and that was that."
"Jenny was his daughter, too, his chosen daughter."
"She needed to spread her belongings out all over the room, claiming her territory."
"A soft breeze drifted over her skin, tickling her slightly, making her senses stir in the most pleasurable way."
"Meg’s desk was of battered metal with three drawers down each side."
"I’m going to work on my Alcott book. I’m determined to finish it."
"Meg straightened in her chair, alerted by her mother’s voice."
"Meg would pretend to be selfless, thoughtful, taking the small back bedroom."
"Meg was thrilled to be here because at last she’d be able to focus completely and solely on writing her book."
"Meg considered herself one of the most moderate, gentle, easygoing women she knew."
"Meg stretched. She had actually arrived before Arden."
"Meg sighed deeply, closed her eyes, and breathed in the salty island air."
"Meg was a favorite of the students, and Liam admired her for it."
"Meg rolled her eyes in reaction to his compliment."
"Meg thought: Because you’ll sleep with me, make me fall in love with you, and drop me for the first Gisele Bündchen look-alike you see."
"You don’t have to marry the man. When’s the last time you got laid?"
"You’re not attracted to me because you’re in love with Tim Robinson. Surely you know that."
"I want to be clear about this. It can’t happen again. It won’t happen again."
"It goes against a male’s Darwinian nature. It’s in their genes or their testosterone, whatever."
"Your mother didn’t go through what my mother went through when Dad left her."
"Love and work. For most of us, our lives are defined by love and work. It is a fortunate woman who loves her work and a blessed woman who does not find herself torn between them."
"It’s a sort of medical history of my side of the family."
"I provided financially, and of course I attended school events and graduations."
"In my field, there is never enough time to keep up with new techniques, new advances."
"Mother got married when I was five, but I don’t remember much about her first husband except that Peter didn’t especially care for me."
"He possessed a singular, remarkable charm—it was such fun to be with him."
"We’ve drifted apart since we were young. The reason is complicated, but I’m sad about it."
"It’s been a dream come true being around them. My sisters."
"I’ve always wanted to be closer with Meg and Arden."
"We are definitely getting to know one another. We’re laughing, and talking about stuff."
"Being a family means more to me than any money in the world."
"My mother didn’t want me to have anything to do with them."
"I thought this would be a brilliant way to force them to spend time with me."
"I know after this summer we’ll keep in touch, see each other, email—be a family."
"Perhaps when we’re all old, sitting in our rocking chairs on some porch somewhere, I’ll tell them."
"Education can be an economic challenge, but it’s nevertheless an absolute necessity."
"We need to make adult education as appealing as possible, which you do in your classes."
"If I want to get things done, I’ve got to be prepared to take the flack."
"I’m so pleased. It’s wonderful to know my students have done so well, comparatively."
"You’re good at teaching, I’m good at administrating."
"Don’t deal with any of them. Tell everyone to come straight to me."
"Your freshman writing students perform better on national exams than the students from any other class in this college."
"It's only money," William Chivers told her quietly. "It's only, after all, a house."
"Meg and Arden have offered to help me buy a new house. With part of their share of the money they'll get from the sale of this house."
"We'll use their money to put an addition on the house, so they'll have bigger rooms, for when they're married and have children."
"In many ways, thanks to me. But also, thanks to Rory Randall."
"I would trade all my money to get back the years I missed when you were growing up."
"I'm acting like an idiot," she said. "I want to say thank you—but it's almost unbelievable."