"This new woman is a mystery. To be black and a slave is to live wounded. To be black and a slave and be born in this …"

"Working the knots has taught me something: to wait is not to waste time; to wait is to take time to see, to listen, t…"

"They take her in, questions hanging from their eyes. (chapter 16, p211)"

"From the time she walked away from the tortured captives, she never has a moment that is not recorded in the book of …"

"She knows for certain that the poisonous barb of humiliation has done much more damage than the lash ever did. (p277)"

"“When are you going to see that the only way we can carry our burdens is to share them?” (p310)"

"Remember to open your heart. Learn to recognize gifts offered on your journey. (chapter 25 p325)"

"Your body is only a vessel. Your essence is inviolate. It is only when you give up your soul that you are lost."

"“We all carry our nightmares in unspoken places. The details are different, but the outcome is the same. They want to…"

"I couldn't write my stories without the constant presence of my ancestors who await me in my dreams and my meditation…"