"'No!' Meggie hugged the doll close again tears forming. 'No, you'll break her! Oh, Jack, don't take her away - you'll break her!"' Chapter 1, pg. 5

"I have a lot of respect for the nuns and I know it isn't our place to question what they do, but I wish they were a bit less eager with the cane. I know they have to beat the three R's onto our thick Irish heads, but after all, it was wee Meggie's first day at school." - Paddy Cleary, Chapter 2, pg. 38

"Oh, really? My dear Fiona, you've come down in the world, haven't you?" - Mary Carson, Chapter 4, pg. 99

"What else are you? You're disgusting, you're worse than a ram in rut! Couldn't you leave her alone, couldn't you keep your hands off her?" - Frank Cleary, Chapter 5, pg. 127

"'And you're no better than the shitty old dog who...