Home > Author > Linda Francis Lee
1 " In order to live a life truly worth living you had to have strength in the face of adversity, patience when confronted by challenge, and bravery in the face of fear. As Sandy Portman I had used arrogance in the face of fear, disdain in the face of challenge, and selfishness in the face of adversity. "
― Linda Francis Lee , Emily and Einstein
2 " But sometimes we have to be brave in order to dig deep and find answers. Even if we're not sure we're going to like the answers. "
― Linda Francis Lee , The Glass Kitchen
3 " Some things are true whether you believe them or not. "
4 " No person, whether she is a scientist or a cook, can find success if she doesn’t first believe that she holds power in her hands— not to use over people, but to use for the good of another. "
5 " The real question isn't "Why aren't you strong enough?" It's "Why do you keep doubting that you already are? "
6 " It’s hard to believe in miracles until you’ve seen one happen. But once you’ve seen, well, life alters and you can never look "
7 " It’s over for me, isn’t it?” The old man glanced across the room mid-chew. “What do you mean?” “I’m not getting my body back.” He shrugged. “Probably not.” My head swam. It didn’t matter that at some level I had suspected the truth; hearing the words spoken out loud felt like a kick in the teeth. “Why didn’t you tell me before?” “You’re a smart guy, Alexander, and we both know you had already figured it out. That’s always the way with people—truth staring them in the face but unwilling to accept it.” He ate another cookie quietly. “But,” he added, “even if I had spelled it out you wouldn’t have believed me. You weren’t ready or willing to accept it yet. You’d just have gotten all worked up. "
8 " Two people have to love and respect each other to make a good team, at least in marriage. They have to be committed down to their cores in order to survive the ups and downs of life. "
― Linda Francis Lee , The Ex-Debutante
9 " Mothers are strong enough to let their daughters find out who they really are, and daughters are stong enough to realize that mistakes or no, every mother has done the best she can ... and if she's lucky, her own daughter will one day give her the same gift of understanding. "
10 " I still didn't know what the future held. I didn't have a map or even a plan. But I had learned that's what life was - risky, messy, no way to tie it up in neat little packages despite my desire for it to be otherwise. "
11 " Sometimes there is more to a person's need for white picket fences than safety, just as sometimes there is more to a person's rebellion than the need to lash out against rules. "
12 " It's regret that kills, the if onlys that leave the mortal wounds. "
13 " I couldn't deal with the kind of need for a man that had ruled my mother's life - the kind of need that made it impossible to breath when self-worth was wrapped up in "I love yous. "
14 " The German chocolate cake was easy. So was the vanilla buttercream. But the strawberry shortcake gave me fits. Turns out, the final fix came when I baked a fresh strawberry in the middle of a vanilla sour-cream batter instead of strawberry batter with chunks of strawberries. "
15 " She spread her arms wide to encompass the old pine table they had painted robin's egg blue, lightly sanding it in places so the white primer showed through. She had pulled out Aunt Evie's moss green platters and bowls, filling enough of them with everything from cheesy quiches to creamy chocolate pies, butterscotch cupcakes to the beef bourguignon to cover every inch of counter space. The place smelled heavenly. "
16 " Images of food rushed through her head, surprising her. Fried chicken. Sweet jalapeño mustard. Mashed potatoes. Biscuits. And a pie. Big and sweet, strawberries with whipped cream- so Texan, so opposite this fierce New Yorker. "
17 " Without a single one of those promised lessons from her grandmother, Portia began to see and taste food without having it in front of her, the images coming to her like instincts, automatic and without thought. She found that she knew things without having to be taught. Rich dark chocolate would calm a person who was hiding their anxiety. Hot red chili mixed with eggs first thing in the morning relieved symptoms of someone about to succumb to a terrible cold. "
18 " The small corner market had rows of fresh flowers in white plastic buckets. Standing, the early fall sun on her shoulders, she opened her mind. She assessed the fuchsia roses and violet freesias, vibrant orange and gerbera daisies. Willowy snapdragons. "
19 " If Olivia was like a decadent chocolate-covered strawberry, and Portia a pineapple-and-spice hummingbird cupcake, then Cordelia was peanut butter brittle, still sweet, though with something more substantial added by way of peanuts, but unbendable. "
20 " Heart pounding, she started to prepare the meal that hit her so hard. Her famous cherry tomatoes stuffed with chile, cheese, and bacon, along with pulled pork, endive slaw, and potato pancakes with homemade catsup. "
