Lisa See Quotes - Page 2

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• Our words had to be circumspect. We could not write anything too negative about our circumstances. This was tricky, since the very form of a married woman's letter needed to include the usual complaints -- that we were pathetic, powerless, worked to the bone, homesick, and sad. We were supposed to speak directly about our feelings without appearing ungrateful, no-account, or unfilial.

  Lisa See

  Writing, Ungrateful, Feelings

  Lisa See (2011). “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan”, p.197, A&C Black

  25 Copy quote

• When I knew I couldn't suffer another moment of pain, and tears fell on my bloody bindings, my mother spoke softly into my ear, encouraging me to go one more hour, one more day, one more week, reminding me of the rewards I would have if I carried on a little longer. In this way, she taught me how to endure — not just the physical trials of footbinding and childbearing but the more torturous pain of the heart, mind, and soul.

  Lisa See

  Mother, Pain, Heart

  5 Copy quote

• When the sun is shining, think of the time it won't be, because even when you're sitting in your house with the doors shut, misfortune can fall from above. Page 279

  Lisa See

  Fall, Thinking, Doors

  4 Copy quote

• Sisters, as you know, also have a unique relationship. This is the person who has known you your entire life, who should love you and stand by you no matter what, and yet it's your sister who knows exactly where to drive the knife to hurt you the most.

  Lisa See

  Sister, Hurt, Love You

  8 Copy quote

• It's funny how in that moment I see things clearly. Am I beaten down? Yes. Have I allowed myself to become a victim? Somewhat. Am I afraid? Always. Does some part of me still long to fly away from this place? Absolutely. But I can't leave. Sam and I have built a life for Joy. It isn't perfect, but it's a life. My family's happiness means more to me that starting over again. Page 210

  Lisa See

  Mean, Long, Starting Over

  Lisa See (2009). “Shanghai Girls: A Novel”, p.210, Random House

  4 Copy quote

• We hug, but there are no tears. For every awful thing that's been said and done, she is my sister. Parents die, daughters grow up and marry out, but sisters are for life. She is the only person left in the world who shares my memories of our childhood, our parents, our Shanghai, our struggles, our sorrows, and, yes, even our moments of happiness and triumph. My sister is the one person who truly knows me, as I know her. The last thing May says to me is 'When our hair is white, we'll still have our sister love.

  Lisa See

  Sister, Daughter, Growing Up

  Lisa See (2013). “Shanghai Girls and Dreams of Joy: Two Bestselling Novels”, p.412, Random House

  12 Copy quote

• In our country we call this type of mother love teng ai. My son has told me that in men's writing it is composed of two characters. The first means pain; the second means love. That is a mother's love.

  Lisa See

  Mother, Country, Pain

  Lisa See (2011). “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan”, p.2, A&C Black

  7 Copy quote

• In every message she spoke of birds, of flight, of the world away. Even back then, she flew against what was presented to her. I wanted to cling to her wings and soar, no matter how intimidated I was.

  Lisa See

  Wings, Bird, World

  Lisa See (2011). “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan”, p.78, A&C Black

  4 Copy quote

• I am still learning about love. I thought I understood it--not just mother love, but the love for one's parents, for one's husband, and for one's laotong. I've experienced the other types of love--pity love, respectful love and gratitude love. But looking at our secret fan with its messages written between Snow Flower and me over many years, I see that I didn't value the most important love--deep-heart love.

  Lisa See

  Mother, Gratitude, Husband

  Lisa See (2011). “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan”, p.4, A&C Black

  5 Copy quote

• A brave heart? It feels like a swollen and aching thing in my chest.

  Lisa See

  Heart, Brave, Feels

  Lisa See (2013). “Shanghai Girls and Dreams of Joy: Two Bestselling Novels”, p.794, Random House

  4 Copy quote

• I didn't know you would be here last night, but you were. We can't fight fate. Instead, we must accept that fate has given us a special opportunity.

  Lisa See

  Fighting, Fate, Opportunity

  Lisa See (2011). “Peony in Love”, p.39, A&C Black

  7 Copy quote

• In that moment I understood that the cruelest words in the universe are if only.

  Lisa See

  Motivational, Regret, Moments

  Lisa See (2011). “Peony in Love”, p.99, A&C Black

  4 Copy quote

• I've come to believe that part of lovesickness comes from this conflict between control and desire. In love we have no control. Our hearts and minds are tormented, teased, enticed and delighted by the overwhelming strength of emotions that make us try to forget the real world.

  Lisa See

  Real, Believe, Heart

  Lisa See (2011). “Peony in Love”, p.71, A&C Black

  4 Copy quote

• My love for him had never gone away but only changed, growing deeper like wine fermenting or pickles curing. It bore into me with the pervasiveness of water working its way to the center of a mountain.

  Lisa See

  Wine, Gone Away, Water

  Lisa See (2011). “Peony in Love”, p.190, A&C Black

  4 Copy quote

• How can we not create a fantasy in our minds when the reality is so hard?

  Lisa See

  Reality, Mind, Fantasy

  Lisa See (2011). “Peony in Love”, p.41, A&C Black

  4 Copy quote

• And one of the interesting things about bound feet is that they never age.

  Lisa See

  Feet, Interesting, Age

  "Lisa See: secret women's writing". "The Book Show" with Ramona Koval, www.abc.net.au. March 2, 2006.

  4 Copy quote

• All women on earth-- and men, too for that matter-- hope for the kind of love that transforms us, raises us up out of the everyday, & gives us the courage to survive our little deaths: the heartache of unfulfilled dreams, of career and personal disappointments, of broken love affairs.

  Lisa See

  Love, Dream, Disappointment

  7 Copy quote

• My heart is empty & my life has no value anymore. Each moment a thousand tears.

  Lisa See

  Heart, Tears, Moments

  Lisa See (2011). “Peony in Love”, p.49, A&C Black

  6 Copy quote

• Gone were my girlish ideas about romantic love and my later ideas about sexual love. From Yi, I learned to appreciate deep-heart love. Peony in Love

  Lisa See

  Heart, Romantic Love, Ideas

  Lisa See (2011). “Peony in Love”, p.231, A&C Black

  34 Copy quote

• The classics tell us that, in relationships, the one between teacher and student comes second only to the one between parent and child.

  Lisa See

  Teacher, Children, Parent

  Lisa See (2011). “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan”, p.234, A&C Black

  4 Copy quote

• Perhaps he was afraid as I was that we'd be caught. Or perhaps he was breathing me in just as I was letting him come into my lungs, my eyes, my heart.

  Lisa See

  Heart, Eye, Breathing

  Lisa See (2011). “Peony in Love”, p.37, A&C Black

  4 Copy quote

• You can't fight your fate...It is predestined.

  Lisa See

  Fighting, Fate, Predestined

  4 Copy quote

• I’ve never thought much about whether I was happy or if I had fun as a child. I was a so-so girl who lived with a so-so family in a so-so village. I didn’t know that there might be another way to live, and I didn’t worry about it either.

  Lisa See

  Girl, Children, Fun

  Lisa See (2011). “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan”, p.10, A&C Black

  4 Copy quote

• Poetry is on earth to make you serene, not corrupt your mind, thoughts,or emotions

  Lisa See

  Mind, Earth, Emotion

  Lisa See (2011). “Peony in Love”, p.70, A&C Black

  4 Copy quote

• All these types of love come out of duty, respect, and gratitude. Most of them, as the women in my county know, are sources of sadness, rupture, and brutality.

  Lisa See

  Gratitude, Sadness, Brutality

  Lisa See (2011). “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan”, p.76, A&C Black

  4 Copy quote

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