"The light does not beautify what is already beautiful" (Prologue, Page 1).

"As far as Margaret was concerned, whatever dim hope had remained for the Thanksgiving holiday had vanished completely with the advent of televised football" (Chapter 1, Page 16).

"It had been years since [Margaret] had allowed herself unrestricted conversation with another living person" (Chapter 1, Page 17).

"[Wanda] felt intensely grateful to be moving into a place that was noisy with someone else's history" (Chapter 3, Page 25).

"[Wanda had] never seen her own mother pour anything at breakfast time besides shots of scotch" (Chapter 4, Page 40).

"If Margaret had been inclined to talk about her childhood, she would have said that it lasted far too long - until 1946 to be exact, when an old man came into her father's shop and put a curse on her family" (Chapter 5, Page 45).

"What [Margaret] desired deep down was someone who could whip up the stagnant currents...