That Woman is in love with her own grief. - Gabrielle Zevin

Her mother likes to say that novels have ruined Amelia for real men.

A life isn't measured in hours or minutes. Its the quality not the length. All things considered I've been luckier than most. Almost sixteen years on Earth, and I've already had eight good ones here. I expect to have eight more before all's good said and done. Nearly thirty-two years total, and that's not too shabby

And as any mixed-race person will tell you — to be half of two things is to be whole of nothing.