For a memoir to really succeed, the author has to do such hard work before they come to the page. They have to do a brutal self-examination of everything they believe to be true.

There is no way to order chaos. It's the fundamental theory at the beginning and end of everything; it's the ultimate law of nature. There's no way to win against unpredictability, to suit up completely against accidents.

It is the perpetual tragedy of all families: each of us believe our congenital pathologies and singular pains end with us.

Alexandra Fuller Quotes