Claudie Shevitz

“In the Book of Genesis, Abraham believes that God is commanding him to sacrifice his beloved son as proof of his love and obedience. But just as Abraham is about to thrust the knife into his terrified child, an angel grasps his hand and there in the thicket is a sheep that God has provided for the sacrifice. Most people find this story horrifying, but what my father taught me that day was this: No matter how sacred the calling appears, it is not God’s will for parents to sacrifice their children.”
― Katherine Paterson, Stories of My Life

“The early women rise before I do. Their lamps splinter the gloom of the kitchens. They chatter in whispers as they brew tea for the cooks. Windows are open to counter the heat of the ovens. Outside, the sky is as black as my soul.”
― K. Ritz, Sheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master

“Che sanza speme vivemo in disio.
That without hope we live in desire.”
― Dante Alighieri

“Tomorrows needn’t be bad. Maybe they hold the brightest of our days – the compensation for what we had never had.”
― Merlin Franco, A Dowryless Wedding