Loneliness had taught Harriet that there was always someone who understood - it was just so often that they were dead, and in a book.

Eva Ibbotson

Categorized in : Book Loneliness Taught

When you're sad, my Little Star, go out of doors. It's always bet... by Eva Ibbotson

When you're sad, my Little Star, go out of doors. It's always better underneath the open sky.

stars nature doors

Please, God,' Ruth would pray, 'don't let me be competitive. Let me realize what a privilege it is to study. Let me remember that knowledge must be pursued for its own sake and please, please stop me wanting to beat Verena Plackett in the exams.' She prayed hard and she meant what she said. But God was busy that autumn as the International Brigade came back, defeated, from Spain, Hitler's bestialities increased, and sparrows everywhere continued to fall.

spain autumn fall

To show too much joy in a place such as this would be unseemly but, as he padded toward her, his tail was extended in a manner which would make wagging possible should all go as expected.

would-be dog joy

Shadows are cool and peaceful places for those whose minds are ov... by Eva Ibbotson

Shadows are cool and peaceful places for those whose minds are overstocked with treasure.

peaceful shadow mind

For an instant she felt his touch on her cheek then he stepped back. There that was my ration for all eternity. People have died for less I dare say.

dare eternity people

And so they played some of the world's loveliest piano music - the exiled homesick girl, the humiliated, tired old man. Not properly. Better than that.

tired girl men

One must not judge other cultures by the standars of one's one,'... by Eva Ibbotson

One must not judge other cultures by the standars of one's one,' said Aunt Hilda

aunt other-cultures judging

It's true that adventures are good for people even when they are very young. Adventures can get in a person's blood even if he doesn't remember having them.

adventure blood people

But she had to know words. She had to know everything. by Eva Ibbotson

But she had to know words. She had to know everything.

knows

She was so intelligent that she could think herself into beauty. Intelligence...they don't talk about it much, the poets, but when a woman is intelligent and passionate and good.

passionate intelligent thinking

The sisters worked from dawn to dusk. One of them was an idiot; she started shaving her legs and marrying tax inspectors, so she was no good.

shaving taxes legs

I want to live like music sounds."- Ruth by Eva Ibbotson

I want to live like music sounds."- Ruth

ruth sound want

It was a heavenly summer, the summer in which France fell and the British Expeditionary Force was evacuated from Dunkirk. Leaves were never such an intense and iridescent green; sunlight glinted on flower-studded meadows as the Germans encircled the Maginot Line and overran not only France but Belgium and Holland. Birdsong filled the air in the lull between bursts of gunfire and accompanied the fleeing refugees who blocked the roads. It was as though the weather was preparing a glorious requiem for the death of Europe.

flower air summer

Slowly, Anna put up a hand to his muzzle and began to scratch that spot behind the ear where large dogs keep their souls.

soul dog hands

Then he kissed her. It was a very long time before he let her go. When he did, she looked up at him, hurt and bewilderment on her face. 'Why did you stop?' asked Tessa. 'I thought you might want to breathe,' said Guy carefully. 'Breathe?'said Tessa , shocked. 'I don’t need to breathe when I’m with you.'

guy hurt long

Pauline kept a scrapbook into which she pasted important articles that she had cut out of the newspapers. These were about the courageous deeds that had been done by people even if they only had one leg or couldn't see or had been dropped on their heads when they were babies. 'It's to make me brave,' she'd explained to Annika.

cutting baby people

This is worse than Hollywood, he thought. A girl comes in with a pork chop and I write a song for her.

girl writing song

That's silly, Anna," said the Honorable Olive. "Being afraid is s... by Eva Ibbotson

That's silly, Anna," said the Honorable Olive. "Being afraid is silly, you know it is.

olives anna silly

Just because we've never done it doesn't mean we can't do it. by Eva Ibbotson

Just because we've never done it doesn't mean we can't do it.

done mean

The dowager rose and slipped from her pew. There was the sound of tearing silk as she threw up her arms to embrace her son. Then: "Oh, Rupert, darling," she exclaimed in tones of theatrical despair, "don't you see? The game's up!

games rose son