---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He sweeps her hair back from her ears; he…"
description: "\"“He sweeps her hair back from her ears; he swings her above his head. He says she is his émerveillement. He says he will never leave her, not in a mill..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/anthony-doerr-886_family_he-sweeps-her-hair-back-from-her-ears-he_2124125.png"
---

#  He sweeps her hair back from her ears; he swings her above…

![“He sweeps her hair back from her ears; he swings her above his head. He says she is his émerveillement. He says he will never leave her, not in a million years.” quote by Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/anthony-doerr-886_family_he-sweeps-her-hair-back-from-her-ears-he_2124125.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/anthony-doerr-886_family_he-sweeps-her-hair-back-from-her-ears-he_2124125.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/anthony-doerr-886_family_he-sweeps-her-hair-back-from-her-ears-he_2124125.png)

> ““He sweeps her hair back from her ears; he swings her above his head. He says she is his émerveillement. He says he will never leave her, not in a million years.””

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A lover describes his deep devotion, using vivid physical gestures to convey emotional awe and commitment.

**In simple terms:** He shows love through tender actions and promises.

Key Takeaway

Cherish and express love through meaningful acts.

Themes

love devotion intimacy

Mood

tender passionate

Type

romantic poetic

When to use this quote

- relationships
- marriage
- courtship
- long‑distance love

Key Concepts

romantic expression emotional awe

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you show love without pressure?
- What does “emérveillement” mean to you?

A Different Perspective

Romantic gestures can be misread or feel overwhelming.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ears Swings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ears-swings-4348610/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Fathers-and-daughters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fathers-and-daughters/) [Hair Ears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hair-ears-4348611/) [Head Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/head-says-1541262/) [Sweeps Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweeps-hair-4348608/) [Swings Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swings-head-4348609/) [Wwii-fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wwii-fiction/)

## Related quotes

> [“It was all a big joke. I could see that now. There was no rhyme or reason to whether we lived or died. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-gratz/it-was-all-a-big-joke-i-could-see-that-now-there-was-no-rhyme-or/)

[Alan Gratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-gratz/)

> [“I stepped back and looked at all the people as they continued to weave in and out, around and around, faster and faster until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/han-nolan/i-stepped-back-and-looked-at-all-the-people-as-they-continued-to/)

[Han Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/han-nolan/)

> [“The official line is that, after the war, women couldn't wait to leave the offices and assembly lines and government agencies. But the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-feldman/the-official-line-is-that-after-the-war-women-couldn-t-wait-to-leave/)

[Ellen Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-feldman/)

> [“Hello Readers! I look forward to adding to my author page. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-gard-seedorf/hello-readers-i-look-forward-to-adding-to-my-author-page-i/)

[Rita Gard Seedorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-gard-seedorf/)

> [“U-boats were on the run. Radar, sonar, aircraft, and new tactics by American and British destroyers had turned predators into prey. The future offered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-young/u-boats-were-on-the-run-radar-sonar-aircraft-and-new-tactics-by/)

[Tom Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-young/)

> [“Oh, it'll definitely fool the Germans," Cess said. "There's no clearer proof that there's an army in the area than beer bottles and used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/oh-it-ll-definitely-fool-the-germans-cess-said-there-s-no-clearer/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [“At the far end of the taxiway, B-17s began to roll out of their hardstands and onto the perimeter track. Karl nudged the throttles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-young/at-the-far-end-of-the-taxiway-b-17s-began-to-roll-out-of-their/)

[Tom Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-young/)

> [“I've ever felt better in my life, Fred. Never.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wingmen-ensan-case/i-ve-ever-felt-better-in-my-life-fred-never/)

[Wingmen Ensan Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wingmen-ensan-case/)

> [“You can't go yet, not without telling us what all's happened to you since we saw you last." I faked amnesia, nearly killed Alan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/you-can-t-go-yet-not-without-telling-us-what-all-s-happened-to-you/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [“Ari: The serial number was now my new name. I was dehumanized. I was branded like an animal, but was treated worse. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-huh/ari-the-serial-number-was-now-my-new-name-i-was-dehumanized-i-was/)

[Christopher Huh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-huh/)

> [“What do you say, son? Doesn’t your father look great in his new uniform?” Poul-Erik’s Father The Informer by Steen Langstrup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steen-langstrup/what-do-you-say-son-doesn-t-your-father-look-great-in-his-new-uniform/)

[Steen Langstrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steen-langstrup/)

> [“As for my own answers to any of this? I have none. I'm far more confused than before I first went. I've had no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-for-my-own-answers-to-any-of-this-i-have-none-i-m-far-more/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ How do you gag the voice in your head that says, 'You don't have to \[do it\] today. There's always tomorrow.'? ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs-2/how-do-you-gag-the-voice-in-your-head-that-says-you-don-t-have-to-do/)

[A. J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs-2/)

> [You can't go back, Ever. You can't change the past. It just is." I squint, having no idea what she's talking about. But just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-noel/you-can-t-go-back-ever-you-can-t-change-the-past-it-just-is-i-squint/)

[Alyson Noel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-noel/)

> [“How do you gag the voice in your head that says, 'You don't have to go to the gym today. There's always tomorrow. C'mon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs/how-do-you-gag-the-voice-in-your-head-that-says-you-don-t-have-to-go/)

[A.J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs/)

## More by Anthony Doerr

> [I was a nerdy kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/i-was-a-nerdy-kid/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [“he moved neither forward nor backward in time, but merely endured variations of the same day over and over. Maybe he was the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/he-moved-neither-forward-nor-backward-in-time-but-merely-endured/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [“Open your eyes, the Frenchman on the radio used to say, and see what you can with them before they close forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/open-your-eyes-the-frenchman-on-the-radio-used-to-say-and-see-what/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [“Just when we think we have a system, ...the system collapses. Just when we know our way around, we get lost. Just when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/just-when-we-think-we-have-a-system-the-system-collapses-just-when-we/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [“An hour passed and another and then, like a glass of water overfilled - the meniscus inverting, going convex, gravity pulling at the edges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/an-hour-passed-and-another-and-then-like-a-glass-of-water-overfilled/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [“For dinner, he orders wild boar cooked with fresh mushrooms. And a full bottle of Bordeaux. Especially during wartime, such things remain important. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/for-dinner-he-orders-wild-boar-cooked-with-fresh-mushrooms-and-a-full/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [“Do you know what happens, Etienne,” says Madame Manec from the other side of the kitchen, “when you drop a frog in a pot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/do-you-know-what-happens-etienne-says-madame-manec-from-the-other/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [“You ever hope for something so much? So much you can't sleep, so much your skull hurts? But the thing is, you don't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/you-ever-hope-for-something-so-much-so-much-you-can-t-sleep-so-much/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [“Hope was a sunrise, a friend in the alley, a whisper in an empty corridor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/hope-was-a-sunrise-a-friend-in-the-alley-a-whisper-in-an-empty/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [Time is a slippery thing: lose hold of it once, and its string might sail out of your hands forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/time-is-a-slippery-thing-lose-hold-of-it-once-and-its-string-might/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [“...the air a library and the record of every life lived, every sentence spoken, every word transmitted still reverberating within it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/the-air-a-library-and-the-record-of-every-life-lived-every-sentence/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [“silent desperation of everything they never said - gaps and absences in every conversation, the past circumscribing the present, the future hemming in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/silent-desperation-of-everything-they-never-said-gaps-and-absences-in/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [“She is in charge of everything, but no one knows. It is a tremendous burden, she says, to be responsible for every little thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/she-is-in-charge-of-everything-but-no-one-knows-it-is-a-tremendous/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [I guess you could say I've been writing all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/i-guess-you-could-say-i-ve-been-writing-all-my-life/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

> [Only Numbers. Pure math. You have to accustom yourself to thinking that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/only-numbers-pure-math-you-have-to-accustom-yourself-to-thinking-that/)

[Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

[Explore all 336 Anthony Doerr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/)

## More Family quotes

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/)

[Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/)

> [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/)

[Maureen Andeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-andeson/)

> [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. "But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/)

[Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/)

> [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/)

[Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/)

> [“She knew how to play him so very well. He slipped his hand around hers. "Friends," he repeated roughly. Her smile was bright enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/she-knew-how-to-play-him-so-very-well-he-slipped-his-hand-around-hers/)

[Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/)

> [As a family, we all loved the Flyers. To me, rooting for the Flyers were how I bonded with my dad especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/as-a-family-we-all-loved-the-flyers-to-me-rooting-for-the-flyers-were/)

[Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/)

> [The people have always been family to me here in Las Vegas. The people have always been very, very kind to me, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/the-people-have-always-been-family-to-me-here-in-las-vegas-the-people/)

[Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/)

> [“Your relationship with your brother will be, in many ways, the most complex and bewildering of all the interpersonal connections you will form. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/your-relationship-with-your-brother-will-be-in-many-ways-the-most/)

[Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 36,913 Family quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“He sweeps her hair back from her ears; he swings her above his head. He says she is his émerveillement. He says he will never leave her, not in a million years.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anthony Doerr"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/he-sweeps-her-hair-back-from-her-ears-he-swings-her-above-his-head-he/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Family"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/he-sweeps-her-hair-back-from-her-ears-he-swings-her-above-his-head-he/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/anthony-doerr-886_family_he-sweeps-her-hair-back-from-her-ears-he_2124125.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/anthony-doerr-886_family_he-sweeps-her-hair-back-from-her-ears-he_2124125.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/anthony-doerr-886_family_he-sweeps-her-hair-back-from-her-ears-he_2124125.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He sweeps her hair back from her ears; he swings her above his head. He says she is his émerveillement. He…” — Anthony Doerr",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Anthony Doerr",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“He sweeps her hair back from...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/he-sweeps-her-hair-back-from-her-ears-he-swings-her-above-his-head-he/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/he-sweeps-her-hair-back-from-her-ears-he-swings-her-above-his-head-he/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
