“Her ravings were so crowded with recriminations and insults and petitions, with weeping and caterwauling and wild expressions of love, that it seemed bewildering to Bob and Charley that Jesse remained there for minutes, let alone hours; yet he did.… — Ron Hansen Copy Share Image
“but nothing upset and preoccupied him like the phrase whatever they dread most, that will happen. It seemed more than a simple curse; there… — Ron Hansen Copy Share Image
“He also had a condition that was referred to as granulated eyelids and it caused him to blink more than usual, as if he… — Ron Hansen Copy Share Image
“Then the night lessened, the clouds ashened slightly, and the men became starkly black and brown against the gray of the snow.” — Ron Hansen Copy Share Image
“A human judge who viewed his soul would have condemned him, he thought; exacted some penalty; spurned him. But he felt in the presence… — Ron Hansen Copy Share Image
“Inside, cooking smells maneuvered through the house: cow liver, sweet potatoes, stewed onions, cabbage - scents that were as assertive as colors.” — Ron Hansen Copy Share Image
“Then I knelt heedfully upright and mentally prayed as we'd been instructed to do, some scared and scientific part of me assaying myself for chemical reactions or a sudden infusion of wisdom while fancying Christ now sitting dismally in my scoundrel soul, my oh so many sins pooling like sewer water at his sandaled feet. But soon I saw that… — Ron Hansen Copy Share
“Bob was not yet twenty, after all, while Jesse was thirty-four and in physical decline; each calendar week subtracted from Jesse the powers that… — Ron Hansen Copy Share Image
“He was increasingly irritable and suspicious, and a cantankerous mood could fly over him as quickly as the shadow of a bird. But Jesse… — Ron Hansen Copy Share Image
“A man of principles," Jesse said. "People say that about themselves when really they only want to make you unhappy.” — Ron Hansen Copy Share Image
“Charley looked over at him. "About how much you and Jesse have in common." Jesse said, "Why don't you tell it, Bob; if you remember." Bob inched forward in his chair. "Well, if you'll pardon my saying so, it is interesting, the many ways you and I overlap and whatnot. You begin with my daddy, J.T. Ford. J stands for… — Ron Hansen Copy Share
“Bob slid his chair back and moved the coal-oil lamp from the kitchen to the sitting room. He said, "Oftentimes things seem impossible up… — Ron Hansen Copy Share Image
“They weren't penitent over what they'd attempted; their sorrow reached to the limits of their bodies and no further, all their anguish was in… — Ron Hansen Copy Share Image
