Quotes from A Trick of the Light

“Where other women ... were lovely, Annie Gamache was alive.
Late, too late, Jean Guy Beauvoir had come to appreciate how very important it was, how very attractive it was, how very rare it was, to be fully alive.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“Despite himself, Beauvoir laughed. "There is strong shadow where there is much light."

...

But most he loved a happy human face.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“What people mistook for safety was in fact captivity.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“He knew time could heal. But it could also do more damage. A forest fire, spread over time, would consume everything.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“Books were everywhere in their large apartment. Histories, biographies, novels, studies on Quebec antiques, poetry. Placed in orderly bookcases. Just about every table had at least one book on it, and oftern several magazines. And the weekend newspapers were scattered on the coffee table in the living room, in front of the fireplace. If a visitor was the observant type, and made it further into the apartment to Gamache's study, he might see the story the books in there told.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“She wasn’t afraid to be wrong. And that, the Chief knew, was a great strength.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“Light is every bit as challenging as dark. We can discover a great deal about ourselves by looking at beauty.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“As far as the official mapmakers were concerned Three Pines didn’t exist. It had never been surveyed. Never plotted. No GPS or sat nav system, no matter how sophisticated, would ever find the little village. It only appeared as though by accident over the edge of the hill. Suddenly. It could not be found unless you were lost.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“Hope offered, then denied. A particular cruelty.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“Beauvoir was quiet, watching the Chief, taking in the gleam in his eye, the enthusiasm as he described what he'd found. Not the physical landscape, but the emotional. The intellectual.

Many might have thought the Chief Inspector was a hunter. He tracked down killers. But Jean Guy knew he wasn't that. Chief Inspector Gama he was an explorer by nature. He was never happier than when he was pushing the boundaries, exploring the internal terrain. Areas even the person themselves hadn't explored. Had never examined. Probably because it was too scary.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“It was one thing to forgive, it was another to climb back into the cage with that bear, even if it was wearing a tutu and smiling.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“relationship never starts with a fist to the face, or an insult. If it did there’d be no second date. It always starts gently. Kindly. The other person draws you in. To trust them. To need them. And then they slowly turn. Little by little, increasing the heat. Until you’re trapped.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“but if you were a nasty piece of work growing up, you’ll be an asshole as an adult and you’ll die pissed off.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“Sobriety isn't for cowards, Chief Inspector. Whatever you might think of an alcoholic, to get sober, really sober demands great honesty, and that demands great courage. Stopping drinking's the easy part. Then we have to face ourselves. Our demons. How many people are willing to do that?”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“The Chief believed if you sift through evil, at the very bottom you’ll find good. He believed that evil has its limits. Beauvoir didn’t. He believed that if you sift through good, you’ll find evil. Without borders, without brakes, without limit.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“Despite himself, Beauvoir laughed. “There is strong shadow where there is much light.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“You’re lying on your deathbed. You have one hour to live. Who is it, exactly, you have needed all these years to forgive?”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“And this was what a couple of that age looked like. If they were lucky.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“Gamache had asked not because he didn’t know the answer, but because he wanted to see if Peter would lie to him. He had. And if he’d lie about that, what else had he lied about?”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“Like the street his gallery was on, Fortin had an attractive front, hiding quite a foul interior. He was opportunistic. He fed on the talent of others. Got rich on the talent of others. While most of the artists themselves barely scraped by, and took all the risks.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“They’d crossed over to that continent where grieving parents lived. It looked the same as the rest of the world, but wasn’t. Colors bled pale. Music was just notes. Books no longer transported or comforted, not fully. Never again. Food was nutrition, little more. Breaths were sighs. And they knew something the rest didn’t. They knew how lucky the rest of the world was.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“But Annie hates children.” “Well, she’s not very good with them, but I don’t think she hates them. She adores Florence and Zora.” “She has to,” said Beauvoir. “They’re family. She’s probably depending on them, in her old age. She’ll be bitter Auntie Annie, with the stale chocolates and the doorknob collection. And they’ll have to look after her. So she can’t drop them on their heads now.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“Happy people didn’t drink themselves to sleep every night.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“You have one hour to live. Who is it, exactly, you have needed all these years to forgive?” Myrna”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“to Clara’s party? And why did she accept? ELEVEN “Honestly, you’re the worst investigator in history,” said Dominique. “At least I was asking questions,” snapped Ruth. “Only because I couldn’t get a word in.” Myrna and Clara had joined the other two women in the bistro and were now sitting in front of a fire, lit more for effect than necessity. “She asked André Castonguay how big his dick was.” “I did not. I asked how big a dick he was. There’s a difference.” Ruth brought up her thumb and forefinger to indicate about two inches. Despite herself, Clara smirked. She’d often wanted to ask gallery owners the same question.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“Her voice changed slightly as she remembered, “But most he loved a happy human face.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“Armand Gamache knew no good ever came from putting up walls. What people mistook for safety was in fact captivity. And few things thrived in captivity.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“Below that was the thrum of bumblebees climbing in and over and around the peonies. Getting lost. Bumbling around. It looked comical, ridiculous. But then so much did, unless you knew.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

“No, I don’t. I find them very superficial. Calculated. He’s a good artist, but I think he could be a great one, if he could use more instinct and less technique. He’s a very good draftsman.”
― Louise Penny, quote from A Trick of the Light

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Popular quotes

“We have The Idylls of the King in English class this term. I like some things in them, but I detest Tennyson's Arthur. If I had been Guinevere I'd have boxed his ears - but I wouldn't have been unfaithful to him for Lancelot, who was just as odious in a different way. As for Geraint, if I had been Enid I'd have bitten him. These 'patient Griseldas' deserve all they get.”
― L.M. Montgomery, quote from Emily Climbs

“How the world so dearly loves a cage.”
― Colin Higgins, quote from Harold and Maude

“I thought it would be a good thing to follow John Redmond’s words. I thought for my mother’s sake, her gentle soul, for the sake of my own children, I might go out and fight for to save Europe so that we might have the Home Rule in Ireland in the upshot. I came out to fight for a country that doesn’t exist, and now, Willie, mark my words, it never will.”
― Sebastian Barry, quote from A Long Long Way

“Keri answered the door, looking frazzled and not having the best hair day he’d ever seen. “Hi, Sean. I was just thinking, gee, I need more Kowalskis in my life right now.”
He laughed and stepped into the big foyer. “Baby acting up?”
“I thought the Kowalski men were royal pains in the ass—no offense—but you guys have nothing on the girls.”
“Joe writing?”
She blew out a sharp breath and put her hands on her hips. “No. Joe is pretending to write so I won’t dump Brianna in his lap, but he’s probably playing some stupid game.”
From the other room came a pissed-off howl that Sean hoped was their daughter and not a wild animal foraging for table scraps. “So he’s in his office?”
Keri nodded and waved a hand in that direction before making a growling sound and heading off to appease her daughter. Welcome to the jungle, he mused before heading to Joe’s office. He rapped twice on the door, then let himself in.
Joe looked up with a guilty start and Sean knew his wife had him all figured out. “She knows you’re only pretending to write so you don’t have to deal with the kid.”
“You know what really sucks? Everybody keeps saying to just wait till she’s older. Like it gets worse. How can it get worse?” Sean lifted his hands in a “don’t ask me” gesture. “For years I’ve been writing about boogeymen and the evil that lurks in the hearts of men. I had no idea there’s nothing scarier than a baby girl.”
Sean laughed. “She can’t be that bad. What does she weigh? Ten pounds?”
“Fifteen. But it’s fifteen pounds of foul temper and fouler smells. Trust me.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
Joe leaned back in his leather office chair and sighed. “Let’s talk about your life. She still on the couch?”
“Yes, she is.”
“Good. I said you’d last three weeks.”
Maybe, but Sean wouldn’t bet on it. Or he shouldn’t have bet on it, anyway. Especially a whole month. His balls ached just thinking about it. “You guys come up with a plan for the kids for Saturday yet?”
“Yeah, but it’s going to cost you.”
“Not a problem. I’ll just take it out of all the money I’m going to collect from you idiots at the end of the month.”
Joe grinned. “You keep telling yourself that, buddy.”
He was. With as much oomph as he could muster. And he’d probably keep telling himself that up to the minute he got Emma naked.”
― Shannon Stacey, quote from Yours to Keep

“I daydream about a high school where everybody plays the harmonica: the students, the teachers, the principal, the janitor and the cook in the cafeteria.”
― Richard Brautigan, quote from The Tokyo-Montana Express

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