"She was in her second marriage to stay. It was to be the site of her redemption—the second chance on love that would let her dreams be born again." (Chapter 1, page 12)

"Living in a world above the absolutes of law and man-made convention was what any black person in their right mind needed to do if they wanted to keep a hold on life. Letting white folks or anybody else control your mind and your body, too, was a surefire way to fail in this life." (Chapter 1, page 17)

"I had planted my feet on the path leading in the direction of class privilege. There would always be contractions to face. There would always be confrontations around the issue of class—I would always have to reexamine where I stand." (Chapter 2, page 37)

"Solidarity with the poor was the gesture that intervened on shame." (Chapter 3, page 41)

"Understanding...