Her parents taught her to work and that work would take care of many emotions – anger, sadness, unhappiness. She had surgery on her eyes when she was young. Her face was black and blue after the surgery. When her father saw her, he held her close and told her, “This time next year we’ll be laughing (p.157-8).” I love the subtle admission that now is rough combined with the strong suggestions throughout the book that things will get better in the future. The optimism!
Quotes
“We are, all of us, products of our family mythology. Stories are not only passed down, but nestled in every cell.” p. 5 ¶2
“Martin Parsons, founder of the Research Centre for Evacuee and War Child Studies at the University of Reading, England, suggests that it takes three generations for an experience of war to work its way through the family system.” p.30 ¶1
“...It has only been since I began to write this memoir that I have reconsidered the power of storytelling on so many levels. Of course, we know a story can change even a nation—the stories told by politicians, especially tyrants, dictators and despots, have sent young men and women to perish on battlefields for millennia. Countries and peoples have been brought to their knees by stories, and equally they have been given the strength to rise up, to endure and to show strength beyond measure. But as much as stories bring warmth to our days, help us find our voices or work things out, stories—even the ones considered entertaining—can also damage, create doubt, cause an aching distress or a wounding humiliation. Words have the potential to cause such pain, it’s a wonder the dictionary doesn’t come with a government health warning.” p, 138-139
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