Amy Tan

Then you must teach my daughter this same lesson. How to lose your innocence but not your hope. How to laugh forever.

Everyone must dream. We dream to give ourselves hope. To stop dreaming - well, that's like saying you can never change your fate. Isn't that true?

We dream to give ourselves hope. To stop dreaming - well, that__ like saying you can never change your fate.

That is the way it is with a wound. The wound begins to close in on itself, to protect what is hurting so much. And once it is closed, you no longer see what is underneath, what started the pain.

...you have to believe in its principles. Anything is possible, as long as it's for the good of the world. Make the exception. Live exceptionally. And if you can't do that, maybe we should consider whether you're right for the project. Think about it, then let's talk tomorrow.

The best life you can have as you get into old age is good food, good teeth to eat it with, and few worries when you go to bed at night.

I am a miserable cook but an extremely talented eater.

...I was like a bird, my wings once carried on a wind of lies. I would beat those wings to stay aloft, and when the wind suddenly died or buffeted me around, I would keep beating those strong wings and fly in my own slice of wind

It felt like all the truth got whitewashed with fake happiness," she said, "only it was not happy and it was worse than fake. It was dangerous

It's a luxury being a writer because all you ever think about is life.

He simply translated what was in LuLing's heart: her better intentions, her hopes.

No two languages are ever sufficiently similar to be considered as representing the same social reality. The worlds in which different societies live are distinct worlds, not merely the same world with different labels attached.