Quotes by Maggie O'Farrell

About Maggie O'Farrell:

Maggie O'Farrell is a Northern Irish author of contemporary fiction, who features in Waterstones' 25 Authors for the Future It is possible to identify several common themes in her novels – the relationship between sisters is one, another is loss and the psychological impact of those losses on the lives of her characters. O'Farrell won the 2010 Costa novel award on 4 January 2010 for her novel, The Hand That First Held Mine.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

An English teacher at school once said to her, 'Alice, one thing I hope you never find out is that a broken heart hurts physically.' Nothing she has ever experienced has prepared her for the pain of this. Most of the time her heart feels as though it...

Maggie O'Farrell

Gretta sits herself down at the table. Robert has arranged everything she needs: a plate, a knife, a bowl with a spoon, a pat of butter, a jar of jam. It is in such small acts of kindness that people know they are loved.

Maggie O'Farrell

We are all, Esme decides, just vessels through which identities pass: we are lent features, gestures, habits, then we hand them on. Nothing is our own. We begin in the world as anagrams of our antecedents.

Maggie O'Farrell

We begin in the world as anagrams of our antecedents.

Maggie O'Farrell

All I was aware of was this hole, this gaping hole where my heart should have been. I read somewhere once that your heart is supposed to be the same size as your clenched fist, but this hole felt far bigger. It seemed to expand over my whole upper bo...

Maggie O'Farrell

Author Bio

  • NameMaggie O'Farrell
  • DescriptionBritish writer
  • Born1972
  • CountryUnited Kingdom