“Later, the child climbs down from her mother’s knee and clambers up onto Tom. He holds her wordlessly, trying to imprint everything… — M.L. Stedman Children Copy Share Image
“If Tom is to take his leave of the world, he wants to remember the beauty of it, not just the suffering.” — M.L. Stedman Beauty Copy Share Image
“Isabel sat up, and looked deep into his eyes. ‘What goes on in there, I wonder?” — M.L. Stedman Copy Share Image
“When it comes to the ocean, anything’s possible, I suppose. Anything at all.” — M.L. Stedman Ocean Copy Share Image
“Mind you keep out of the sun, now. Don’t want you spoiling your skin with freckles,” — M.L. Stedman Sun Copy Share Image
“As Tom wandered back to Mrs Mewett’s, he thought about the little relics at the lighthouse – Docherty’s knitting, his wife’s jar… — M.L. Stedman Death Copy Share Image
“Here in a place where there's just wind an waves and light, and the intricate machinery that keeps the flame burning and… — M.L. Stedman Light Copy Share Image
“I warn you, though, he's not the happiest corpse in the morgue. Not much of a talker, Neville Whittnish.” — M.L. Stedman Copy Share Image
“It’s a hard job, and a busy one. The lightkeepers have no union, not like the men on the store boats –… — M.L. Stedman Hard job Copy Share Image
“Beside him now on the veranda, Isabel was saying, "even though you hadn't seen him for years, he was still your dad.… — M.L. Stedman Ur Dad Copy Share Image
“It astounds him that the tiny life of the girl means more to him than all the millennia before it. He struggles… — M.L. Stedman Desire Copy Share Image
“Well, you just had to count your blessings and be thankful things weren't worse.” — M.L. Stedman Blessings Copy Share Image
“We live with the decisions we make, Bill. That’s what bravery is. Standing by the consequences of your mistakes.” — M.L. Stedman Courage Copy Share Image
“Put right the things you can put right today, and let the ones from back then go.” — M.L. Stedman Copy Share Image
“a lighthouse warns of danger--tells people to keep their distance. She had mistaken it for a place of safety.” — M.L. Stedman Danger Copy Share Image
“He’s lived the life he’s lived. He’s loved the woman he’s loved. No one ever has or ever will travel quite the… — M.L. Stedman Life Copy Share Image
“You only have to forgive once. To resent, you have to do it all day, every day. You have to keep remembering… — M.L. Stedman Bad thing Copy Share Image
“The northern side of the island is a sheer granite cliff which sets its jaw stiffly against the ocean below.” — M.L. Stedman Copy Share Image
“If a lighthouse looks like it's in a different place, it's not the lighthouse that's moved.” — M.L. Stedman Copy Share Image
“The oceans never stop ... the wind never finishes. Sometimes it disappears, but only to gather momentum from somewhere else, returning to… — M.L. Stedman Somewhere else Copy Share Image
“Or I can forgive and forget...Oh, but my treasure, it is so much less exhausting. You only have to forgive once. To… — M.L. Stedman Bad thing Copy Share Image
“When it comes to their kids, parents are all just instinct and hope. And fear.” — M.L. Stedman Parenting Copy Share Image
“The smell of the eucalyptus had wafted for miles offshore from Albany, and when the scent faded away he was suddenly sick… — M.L. Stedman Copy Share Image
