I was on the verge of something numinous and profound and in one more second the universe was going to crack open and arcana would rain down on my he… - Kate Atkinson

Olivia was her only beautiful child. Julia, with her dark curls and snub nose, was pretty but her character wasn't, Sylvia — - poor Sylvia, what could you say? And Amelia was somehow ...bland, but Olivia, Olivia was spun from light. It seemed impossible that she was Victor's child, although, unfortunately, there was no doubting the fact. Olivia was the only one she loved, although God knows she tried her best with the others. Everything was from duty, nothing from love. Duty killed you in the end.

Sometimes it was harder to change the past than it was the future.

She was a terrible mother, there was no doubt about it, but she didn't even have the strength to feel guilty.