Quotes from A Bend in the Road

“grown-ups always say that things are complicated.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“If it’s over, then don’t let the past screw up the rest of your life.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“Where does a story truly begin? In life, there are seldom clear-cut beginnings, those moments when we can, in looking back, say that everything started. Yet there are moments when fate intersects with our daily lives, setting in motion a sequence of events whose outcome we could never have foreseen.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“Sometimes, things don't work out the way we want them to.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“It's okay to be sad. Everyone gets sad now and then. Even me.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“That's good. And speaking of spelling, tell me -- do you wrap your head in a towel after you shower?”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“He put his arms around her. “Well, in my defense, then, whatever I did seemed to work, didn't it?”
She sighed. “I suppose.”
“You suppose?”
“What do you want? A medal?”
“For starters. A trophy would be nice, too.”
She smiled. “What do you think you're holding right now?”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“Miles: Well, things are kind of complicated right now. When you’re
a grown-up, you’ll understand.
Jonah: I don’t want to be a grown-up.
Miles: Why not?
Jonah: Because grown-ups always say that things are complicated.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“Hey, Dad?"
"Yeah?"
Jonah walked in silence for a few steps. "It's okay if you like Miss Andrews."
Miles looked down in surprise. "It is?"
"Yeah," he said seriously. "Because I think she likes you.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“You've always lived here, right?" Sarah asked.
"Except for the years I went to college."
"Didn't you ever want to move away? To experience something new?"
"Like bistros?"
She nudged him playfully with her elbow. "No, not just that. Cities have a vibrancy, a sense of excitement that you can't find in a small town."
"I don't doubt it. But to be honest, I've never been interested in things like that. I don't need those things to make me happy. A nice quiet place to unwind at the end of the day, beautiful views, a few good friends. What else is there?”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“Can I have a Happy Meal?"
"don't you think you're getting a little old for that?"
"I'm only seven, Dad.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“You say that every morning.”
Miles shrugged. “You're late every morning.”
“Then wake me up sooner.”
“I have a better idea—why don't you go to sleep when I tell you to?”
“I'm not tired then. I'm only tired in the mornings.”
“Join the club.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“He looks pretty broken up about the fact he won't see me tonight."
"Absolutely crushed," Sarah agreed with a nod.
"We were supposed to rent a movie together, you know."
Sarah shrugged. "It must be terrible to be forgotten so easily."
Miles laughed. He was smitten about her, no doubt about it.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“If you'd rather not answer, you don't have to," Miles offered. "I'm sure it wouldn't change my impression of him, anyway."
"And what impression is that?"
"I don't like him."
Sarah laughed. "Why do you say that?"
"Because you don't like him."
"You're pretty perceptive.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“I thought you didn't like staying after school."
"I didn't at first, but I kind of like it now."
"You do?"
He nodded. "Miss Andrews makes me feel special.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“So . . . do you?” He persisted.
“Yes,” she said finally with a mystified laugh. “I wrap my head in a towel.”
He nodded, satisfied. “I thought so.”
“Did you ever think about cutting back on the caffeine?”
Miles shook his head. “Never.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“Well . . . I mean . . .”
Her eyebrows lifted and she looked at him slyly. “You want to ask me about the fan again?”
He grinned. She'd never let him live that down.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“You get to tour some of the historic homes and listen to ghost stories."
"This is what people do in small towns?"
"We could either do that or go sit on my porch, chew some tobacco, and play banjos.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“That was the kind of life she’d had as a child, and it was the kind she wanted as an adult. But it hadn’t worked out that way. Things in life seldom
did, she’d come to understand”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“From behind her back, Sarah brought out a set of Matchbox cars, which she handed to Jonah.
“What's this for?” He asked.
“I just wanted you to have something to play with while you're here,” she said. “Do you like them?”
He stared at the box. “This is great! Dad . . . look.” He held the box in the air.
“I see that. Did you say thanks?”
“Thank you, Miss Andrews.”
“You're welcome.”
As soon as Miles approached, Sarah stood again and greeted him with a kiss. “I was just kidding, you know. You look nice, too. I'm not used to seeing you wearing a jacket and tie in the middle of the afternoon.” She fingered his lapel slightly. “I could get used to this.”
“Thank you, Miss Andrews,” he said, mimicking his son.”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“Maybe he suspected something, maybe he’d simply been around long enough to know that fairytales seldom came true”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“You’re beautiful and charming, and I can’t stop thinking about last night.” No, he
didn’t say that. Not exactly, anyway. What Sarah heard was, “Hey—how are you?”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“And you were wrong in the way you”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“sense of all this. The traffic clear, Miles made a U-turn and was on his way to”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“He'd simply been around long enough to know that fairy tales seldom came true”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“There is something terrible in the moments after waking up, when the subconscious
knows that something terrible has happened but before all the memories flash back in
their entirety”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“There is a path one takes when moving toward destruction. Like someone who has
one drink on a Friday night, and two the next, only to gradually and completely lose
control”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

“I realize that I don’t know where to start. Not because I’m unsure of my story, but because I’m not sure why I feel compelled to tell it in the first place. What can be achieved by unearthing the past?”
― Nicholas Sparks, quote from A Bend in the Road

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“Find a reason to turn your nose up at a culture, to denigrate a people because they are different, and it's not such a giant leap from ethnic subjugation to ethnic slaughter”
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― Ivan Turgenev, quote from Rudin

“we saw something swimming in the water, and pulled toward it, thinking it a coyote; but we soon recognized a large grizzly bear, swimming directly across the channel. Not having any weapon, we hurriedly pulled for the schooner, calling out, as we neared it, “A bear! a bear!” It so happened that Major Miller was on deck, washing his face and hands. He ran rapidly to the bow of the vessel, took the musket from the hands of the sentinel, and fired at the bear, as he passed but a short distance ahead of the schooner. The bear rose, made a growl or howl, but continued his course. As we scrambled up the port-aide to get our guns, the mate, with a crew, happened to have a boat on the starboard-aide, and, armed only with a hatchet, they pulled up alongside the bear, and the mate struck him in the head with the hatchet. The bear turned, tried to get into the boat, but the mate struck his claws with repeated blows, and made him let go. After several passes with him, the mate actually killed the bear, got a rope round him, and towed him alongside the schooner, where he was hoisted on deck. The carcass weighed over six hundred pounds. It was found that Major Miller’s shot had struck the bear in the lower jaw, and thus disabled him. Had it not been for this, the bear would certainly have upset the boat and drowned all in it. As it was, however, his meat served us a good turn in our trip up to Stockton.”
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