"I worked hard for everything I ever cared about, & nothing I ever cared about cost a single cent."
~ Sally Hepworth
Read all great Sally Hepworth quotes below ...
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Sally Hepworth has emerged as a prominent figure in contemporary fiction, captivating readers with her poignant narratives and unforgettable characters. With a talent for exploring the complexities of family dynamics and the secrets that bind us together, Hepworth has earned praise for her evocative prose and compelling storytelling.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Hepworth's early years were shaped by a love of literature and a passion for storytelling. After studying creative writing at university, she embarked on a career as a writer, drawing inspiration from her own experiences and the rich tapestry of life around her. Hepworth's personal and professional journey has influenced her writing, infusing her novels with authenticity and emotional depth.
Hepworth made her literary debut with the novel "The Secrets of Midwives," a poignant exploration of motherhood, identity, and the ties that bind three generations of women together. The novel struck a chord with readers, earning widespread acclaim and establishing Hepworth as a rising star in the world of contemporary fiction. Since then, she has continued to captivate readers with a string of bestselling novels, including "The Mother's Promise," "The Family Next Door," and "The Good Sister." Each of these works showcases Hepworth's talent for crafting emotionally resonant stories that explore the complexities of human relationships and the secrets that lie beneath the surface.
One of the hallmarks of Hepworth's writing is her ability to create characters that feel like old friends to her readers. Her protagonists are relatable and endearing, grappling with the challenges of everyday life while navigating the twists and turns of their relationships. Hepworth's prose is lyrical and evocative, with a keen attention to detail that brings her settings and characters to life on the page.
Readers are drawn to Hepworth's work for its compelling storytelling, relatable characters, and thought-provoking themes. Her novels offer a blend of drama, mystery, and heartwarming moments that keep readers turning pages late into the night. Whether she is exploring the bonds of friendship, the complexities of family dynamics, or the power of forgiveness, Hepworth approaches her subjects with empathy and compassion, inviting readers to see themselves reflected in the struggles and triumphs of her characters.
While Hepworth is best known for her standalone novels, she has also received acclaim for her collaborations with other authors, including "The Book Club," co-written with Liane Moriarty. This collaboration further showcased Hepworth's versatility as a writer and introduced her to new audiences eager for her signature blend of heart and suspense.
In addition to her literary accomplishments, Hepworth has also been recognized for her contributions to the literary community. She has received numerous awards and accolades, including the [insert specific awards/accolades here], which have helped to elevate her profile and cement her reputation as one of the most talented writers of contemporary fiction.
For those who have yet to discover the magic of Sally Hepworth's writing, her books offer an opportunity to escape into a world of love, loss, and redemption. Whether you're a fan of heartwarming family dramas or gripping psychological thrillers, Hepworth's novels promise an unforgettable reading experience that will leave you moved and wanting more.
Looking ahead, fans of Sally Hepworth can anticipate the release of her highly anticipated new novel, [insert title here], set to debut in the coming months. With its promise of compelling characters and intriguing mysteries, the novel is sure to captivate readers and further solidify Hepworth's reputation as one of the most talented storytellers of her generation. As she continues to explore the complexities of human relationships and the secrets that bind us together, Sally Hepworth remains a writer to watch, her novels a testament to the enduring power of storytelling to inspire, entertain, and provoke thought.
Sally Hepworth Best Quotes
“The library belongs to everyone. The library, Janet used to say, is one of only a few places in the world that one doesn't need to believe anything or buy anything to come inside.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“I like it when people remember that I'm a person, not just a person with Alzheimer's.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep“but I doubt there is a loss in the universe more profound than a daughter losing her mother.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“When you get to my age,' he says, his face softening, 'you don't waste time with regrets. In the end, you just remember the moments of joy. When all is said and done, those are the things we keep.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep“Angry is just a pen name for sad,” Janet had explained. “In my experience, nine times out of ten if you are kind to the angry person, you will calm them down and find out what is really going on with them.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“I worked hard for everything I ever cared about, & nothing I ever cared about cost a single cent." ~ Mum”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“People underestimate the role fate plays in our lives.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“I never had a good answer to Mom's question. 'If I don't remember, will I have been here at all?' But maybe her question was flawed. Maybe it doesn't matter what you remember. Maybe if someone else remembers and speaks your name, you were here.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep“I’d always found there was something agreeable about people who liked dogs and something untrustworthy about those who didn’t.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“Sons see the best parts of you, but daughters really see you. They see your flaws and your weaknesses. They see everything they don’t want to be. They see you for exactly who you are … and they hate you for it.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“maybe, she was so busy looking at the problems in the world, she forgot to give chances to those right under her nose.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“You might start something on a lie, or finish it on a lie, but that doesn't mean that everything in the middle isn't the truth.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep“If it were up to me, every child would have a year in the library before they went to school.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“Who are we after we’re gone? I wonder. It’s a good question to ponder. Most people can’t come up with an answer right away. They frown, consider it for a minute. Maybe even sleep on it. Then the answers start to come. We’re our children. Our grandchildren. Our great-grandchildren. We’re all the people who will go on to live, because we lived. We are our wisdom, our intellect, our beauty, filtered through generations, continuing to spill into the world and make a difference.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“Maybe when it comes to sisters, boundaries are always a little bit blurry. Blurred boundaries, I think, are what sisters do best.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“The less perfect things were, she was finding, the more likely they were to be real.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Family Next Door“To my family and friends who live in terror of being cast as a villain in one of my books. It's a valid fear. Be nice to me.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“Some people jumped in and tried to save someone who was in trouble; others did anything they could to save themselves.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“What happens in our childhood shapes us – our ability to
relate to people, to manage our emotions, to control our impulses.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Younger Wife“Turns out I don't need someone holding my board and pushing me into the wave - I can do it myself. Several times as, as I ride the wave, I have that glorious, blissful feeling... like I'm flying. It's even better than the feeling I had the day Gabe took me surfing. Because it taught me that Gabriel Gerard isn't the only one who can make magic. I can make magic too.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate“Perhaps the very worst people still had some good in them. And perhaps the very best had some bad.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Younger Wife“Dementia isn’t the only place that memories are found to be flawed—people find out they can’t rely on their memories every day. People blindsided in relationships. People who find out their truth is a lie. People pulled from trauma. People awakened, as in Anna and Eve. I wondered: If you can’t use memories to steer your life, what can you use? I didn’t know. It was why I had to write this book.”
― Sally Hepworth“I doubt there is a loss in the universe more profound than a daughter losing her mother.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“It was amazing,
the effect a father had on a person. A father was the benchmark that told
you what to expect. What to accept. And, perhaps most importantly, what to
believe about yourself. Her father had taught her to expect nothing and to
accept less. And he’d taught her to believe that she was nothing.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Younger Wife“Sisterly relationships are so strange in this way. The way I can be mad at Rose but still want to please her. Be terrified of her and also want to run to her. Hate her and love her, both at the same time. Maybe when it comes to sisters, boundaries are always a little bit blurry. Blurred boundaries, I think, are what sisters do best.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“Things were far better watched from a distance....When you watched too closely, you saw things you didn't want to see.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Family Next Door“The library, Janet used to say, is one of only a few places in the world that one doesn’t need to believe anything or buy anything to come inside”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“Angry is just a pen name for sad,”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“One thing you didn’t realize until you were a grandparent was that little children were a tiny glimpse of magic in a dreadfully difficult world”.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Family Next Door“Funny how love can remain, despite everything”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate“You know how you feel for someone you know who is hurt or sick or sad? Imagine feeling that for everyone. Not just everyone you know, but everyone. Every person in the world. All the time.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate: A Novel“One thing I’ve learned about facing fear,” he says, “is that sometimes, it’s just too scary.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“Mum was right when she said that taking a child to the library is the very best education you could give a child.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“Sometimes," I said thoughtfully, "the road to our destination leads us in a direction we don't want to take. But does it matter, in the end, if it gets us where we want to go?”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate: A Novel“If you ask me, everyone is a little too interested in their children’s happiness. Ask anyone what they wish for their kids and they’ll all say they want them to be happy. Happy! Not empathetic contributing members of society. Not humble, wise and tolerant. Not strong in the face of adversity or grateful in the face of misfortune. I, on the other hand, have always wanted hardship for my kids. Real, honest hardship. Challenges big enough to make them empathetic and wise. Take the pregnant refugee girls I deal with every day. They’ve been through unimaginable hardships, and here they are working hard, contributing and grateful. What more could you want for your kids?”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“What's the point in having a mentally ill aunt if she can't buy you a Nerf Super Soaker Electrostorm Blaster?”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep“The thing that makes ethics interesting is that no two individuals see things the same. We all have our own internal barometer of what’s right and wrong.”
― Sally Hepworth, Uncharted Waters“It’s funny how desperately the brain will seek an answer if it doesn’t have one. Not knowing is not a restful state.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Younger Wife“She just needed to reframe, that was all. People reframed all the time. People who realized they weren't going to live a long life. People who lost a loved one, suffered an accident, lost use of a limb. They reframed. And [she] would too.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Younger Wife“That people without sisters think it’s all sunshine and lollipops or all blood and guts. But actually it’s always both. Sunshine and guts. Lollipops and blood.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“Your mother was my life partner, he always says, and a life partner is for life.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“It is just a problem, Antoinette, he would probably have said, and a problem is only a problem until you solve it.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“You cannot go to the beach without coming back feeling a little better,”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate“. . . there’s really only two pieces of wisdom worth leaving behind. I worked hard for everything I ever cared about. And nothing I ever cared about cost a singly cent.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“It’s the truth. Ollie and Nettie would never help me. I’m their mother, which means in our relationship they will always be children, and will only see things from their own perspectives.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“Sometimes,' I said thoughtfully, 'the road to our destination leads us in a direction we don't want to take.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate“By the time I get out of the shower, Tom is in bed. At first I think he is asleep, but as soon as I crawl in beside him, his eyes open. “How are you going to live without me?” he says. We both chuckle, even as a tear slides from the corner of Tom’s eye. “I won’t,” I say, and then he reaches for me and we don’t talk anymore”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“Instead she was a spectator—a strange woman in a bathrobe, watching through the window. But she was going to get her life back. That was exactly what she’d come to Pleasant Court to do.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Family Next Door“Someone once told me that you have two families in your life—the one you are born into and the one you choose. But that’s not entirely true, is it? Yes, you may get to choose your partner, but you don’t, for instance, choose your children. You don’t choose your brothers- or sisters-in-law, you don’t choose your partner’s spinster aunt with the drinking problem or cousin with the revolving door of girlfriends who don’t speak English. More importantly, you don’t choose your mother-in-law. The cackling mercenaries of fate determine it all.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“That people without sisters think it’s all sunshine and lollipops or all blood and guts. But actually it’s always both. Sunshine and guts. Lollipops and blood. Good and bad. The bad is as essential to the relationship as the good.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“Either way, those are the strange, beautiful, and bizarre moments of marriage that no one tells you about. The moments that, even after everything, still pierce your heart.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate: A Novel“into my room. * * * The last time I had sex was the night I left my husband. I packed my bags while he was at work and loaded most of them into the car. The furniture, the mementos, everything except my clothes was his to keep—where I was going, I wouldn’t need them. Then I waited in the hallway, sitting on a suitcase. Aiden arrived home at the usual time. The door jammed on my suitcase as he flicked on the light. “Hey,” he said, “what are you doing?” “Leaving you,” I said. Aiden continued hooking his coat on the hall tree. “Oh yeah?” “Mmm-hmm,” I said. “You seem to be taking it well.” He turned, taking in my suitcase and somber expression. “You’re … serious?” I’d never threatened to leave him before, but we had a certain way of talking, a light way, that made everything seem like a joke. As I held his gaze and nodded, realization dawned. “Shit, Anna.” He raked his hands through his hair. “I know we have problems but—” “I have Alzheimer”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep“Good!”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep“The sound of a phone ringing is among the most crazy-making noises in the world for me. The tinny, repetitive sound of it. The accompanying vibration. Thankfully, my phone rarely rings.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“Our one nonnegotiable had always been loyalty. And what was infidelity if not a lapse in loyalty?”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate: A Novel“I’m beginning to think Wally was right when he said I was normal and everyone else were the weirdos.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“It was an evening of that feeling you wanted to bottle, the feeling that no drug or orgasm could replicate—the skyrocketing high of limerence.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate“Maybe, for us, love was something to be whispered. Or, perhaps, never spoken of at all.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate: A Novel“Then again, I’d also believed him when he said he’d never cheat on me. Goes to show how dangerous it can be, thinking that you know someone.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate“The library, Janet used to say, is one of only a few places in the world that one doesn’t need to believe anything or buy anything to come inside … and it is the librarian’s job to look after all those who do.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“One thing you didn’t realize until you were a grandparent was that little children were a tiny glimpse of magic in a dreadfully difficult world. They had to be disciplined, sure, but they also had to be enjoyed. Parents worked so hard these days that often they didn’t make time to enjoy them, but grandparents knew better. The days were long and years were short, that was what everyone said these days.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Family Next Door“I look up. Carmel is wearing those eyeglasses that become sunglasses when you go outside. Except she’s inside and the glasses don’t seem to have realized.”
― Sally Hepworth , The Good Sister“What else would I do? Sit around counting my gold? Besides, working is important to a person’s mental health.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“That’s another funny thing about marriage. Sometimes, when you look back on it, the worst moments are in fact the best.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate“Can I say something?” he says. “I know you love your sister, but…” He shakes his head, sighs. “Something isn’t right about her. It’s like she doesn’t know where she ends and you begin. It’s like she thinks … you belong to her or something.” I frown. “And you don’t have great boundaries with her either. You blindly believe things that she tells you. You don’t question anything she says.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“How exquisitely, stupidly tragic. That was when I decided I’d never marry my soulmate. From what I could see, marrying your soulmate was reckless. A commitment like marriage was best treated like a contract, with a list of terms and conditions, and the potential to extricate yourself if the terms were breached. If I left love out of it, I would never end up the way my mother had, I reasoned.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate“Being Tully’s sister required a very specific skill set. You had to be an animated conversationalist (Tully was easily bored) but also a calming influence. You had to be fully invested in whatever she was talking about but be prepared for the fact that Tully would lose interest five minutes later. You had to love her with your whole heart but do so from arm’s length. Getting close to her was like trying to get close to a helicopter—you always ended up windswept and breathless…and occasionally you lost your head.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Younger Wife“The thing about marriage a lot of people don’t understand is that you don’t get everything. Some people get passion, others get security. Some get companionship. Children. Money. Wisdom. Status. Then there is trust and fidelity.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate“Oh, I prefer not to touch people if I can possibly help it. Did you know that we carry an average of thirty-two hundred bacteria from a hundred and fifty species on our hands at any one time? This includes fecal bacteria! If I shook hands with everyone I met at the library, I’d be constantly ill, not to mention contaminated with god knows what.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“It’s funny, even though we’ve just been discussing dementia-related stuff, for the last few minutes, it didn’t feel like either of us had dementia. It felt like we were just a guy and a girl, discussing life.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep“Life is too short not to kiss.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep“We’re our children. Our grandchildren. Our great-grandchildren. We’re all the people who will go on to live, because we lived. We are our wisdom, our intellect, our beauty, filtered through generations, continuing to spill into the world and make a difference. Most”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“A few months ago, presented with the knowledge that life wasn't going to be what I'd planned, I wanted to check out, close the book. But now, it's like suddenly I've found a few more pages. And it feels like, against all likelihood, the last chapter might be the best one of all. The last chapter, in fact might be something great.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Things We Keep“hand”
― Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister“It’s funny, what the younger generation assumes we don’t know. They assume we couldn’t possibly understand the agony of heartbreak, or the pressure of buying a house. We couldn’t understand infertility or depression or the fight for equality. If we have experienced any of these things, they were milder, softer versions, played out in sepia, not experiences that could compare to theirs. You have no idea what I know, I want to tell her. Instead I open my arms and let her lie against my shoulder and cry.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Mother-in-Law“Yoga. Gardening. Interior design. It was as if she’d just plucked her profession and hobbies out of a how-to-be-dull catalog.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Younger Wife“father was the benchmark that told you what to expect. What to accept. And, perhaps most importantly, what to believe about yourself.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Younger Wife“If he looked down his nose at my mother's house, this relationship was over.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate: A Novel“What if Fiona also had unexplained falls? What if she’d also spent her marriage wondering if she was going crazy when something more sinister was at play?”
― Sally Hepworth, The Younger Wife“What sort of couple could know this about the other and then move on with their lives as if it were inconsequential?”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate: A Novel“These kinds of mental health issues can be hereditary. I don't want to take that chance with my own child.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate: A Novel“We trust people based on the strangest, most arbitrary things, none of which have any bearing on whether or not you are inherently good.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate: A Novel“Yes, he could hurt me. But he was the only one who could make me fly.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate: A Novel“A new, younger girlfriend. They’d assume she was a gold digger or someone with daddy issues.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Younger Wife“You had to love her with your whole heart but do so from arm’s length. Getting close to her was like trying to get close to a helicopter—you always ended up windswept and breathless … and occasionally you lost your head.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Younger Wife“Getting close to her was like trying to get close to a helicopter—you always ended up windswept and breathless … and occasionally you lost your head.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Younger Wife“I feel an overwhelming urge to do the same, to feel the soft warm comfort of her, for my problem to be of a size and shape that my mother can fix with a hug.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate: A Novel“But small towns are notoriously difficult when you aren't popular.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate: A Novel“I think everyone hears these voices. When I hear them, I just remind myself that they aren't real. And I tell myself that I am good enough.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate: A Novel“Once again, progress, not perfection.”
― Sally Hepworth, The Younger Wife