psychological problems are not confined to women. Men are afflicted with them too. If a man grows up in unnatural circumstances, or if his childhood … - Fadwa Tuqan

I sense the absurdity and aimlessness of life as I stand bewildered, lost and weak before the tide of overpowering death. (p176)

With the arrival of spring, I experienced this thing called love that has continued endlessly to spin its cocoon around my being.
Here was the answer to the question Mother had denied me. It came borne on a jasmine flower redolent with scent that fastened itself to the walls of my heart. Even now I can feel an invisible hand pushing me into that past every time the scent of jasmine drifts towards me.
There are dozens of years behind me now as I recall that event, but the excitement it aroused in me and the wonder born of that excitement are things I will never forget. I had discovered something new in me and in the world, something very strange that made me stand breathless at the wonder of first love.

The sweetest moments in life are those that transcend time and impose themselves on us, with all the life force in them. (p183)