The Circus Train Quotes

“If you think about it, life is like one long maze. Sometimes it's easy. Sometimes we get stuck. But if you persist, if you can find it within you to endure the hardships, you will reach your goal.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“I can't go out and see everything on my own. So all my books, my telescope, the photographs on my wall- they make me feel like the whole universe is in my room.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“People always told you who they were, if only you knew what to look for.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“He couldn't take back what he'd done, but he knew now that he could change who he was meant to be.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“Your greatest achievements often grow out of the worst circumstances.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“A journalist can only write in so many languages. But a photo- you don't need to be able to speak a certain language to understand a photo.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“But the truth is, progress in medicine-progress in anything- cannot exist without ambiguity and risk.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“Each decision we make, no matter how mundane, involves an element of chance. Everything from the food we eat, to the relationships we enter into, to the jobs we pursue- we all calculate the pros and cons and then make the best choice we can, using the information we have. It's the same with medicine. You can weigh the benefits and risks all you want, but at some point, you have to dive in and hope that the odds are in your favor.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“No matter what people said they wanted (Real estate! Stocks! Bonds!), their actions always spoke louder. People wanted an escape. They wanted entertainment, a place where they could revel in wonder and forget about the drudgery of everyday life.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“He never went for the best, most popular ones. Instead, he was careful to choose the ones who had either lost someone (a parent, a spouse, a child) or who were consistently finishing third or fourth in their respective sport or art form. These people, he reasoned, were right on the edge of glory, the people who would fight for acceptance and who would continually strive to be the best.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“It's crucial to not forget what has happened in our past, because that can and should inform how we live our lives today.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“As they sat beaming at the bundle of light that had entered their lives, they promised to teach their daughter that one's past did not dictate future possibilities, that she alone had the power to decide who she would become, and that if rationality and logic should ever fail her, she could always believe in magic.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“Lena had learned that the passage of time did something strange to memories. Ever so slowly it chipped away at the most painful parts, smudging the hurt and softening the aches, to the point that she could now almost reminisce about her childhood in a fond manner, not always stuck on the parts that hurt.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“There are few things that can't be fixed by a good night's sleep.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“If you have a setback, you rest. Then one day, probably sooner than you think, you wake up, ready to try again.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“Sometimes the people who love us most hold us back because they want to protect us.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“Your Royal Highness. I hereby crown you the Queen of Marzipan. A country so steeped in almonds that everyone is...nuts...”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“You know, just because someone says you have to be a certain way, or only do certain things, it doesn't mean you have to listen.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“seemed to be a special kind of magic power all parents possessed, the ability to know about every little mistake their children made without having to ask.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“Words couldn't always describe a moment, but a carefully taken photograph could.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“To truly know a person, Alexandre, do not ask him who he is. Rather, observe what he does. His father had trained him well. People always told you who they were, if only you knew what to look for.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“There were some things that only a mother could fix.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“I know everything feels a bit hopeless right now, but don't lose faith. Your greatest achievements often grow out of the worst circumstances.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“Each decision we make, no matter how mundane, involves an element of chance. Everything from the food we eat, to the relationships we enter into, to the jobs we pursue—we all calculate the pros and cons and then make the best choice we can, using the information we have.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“By the end of the war, the death toll of people with disabilities was estimated to be at least 275,000.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“I grew up with a sibling who has a disability, and I witnessed firsthand the struggles they endured and still go through. I've heard both able-bodied and disabled people alike tell disabled people that they're fine the way they are and don't need to change. I agree with this completely---but the reality is unless you've lived with it day to day, or observed someone living with a disability every day, you can't possibly understand how hard it is to embrace that mindset. Much of our world---from our transport systems to our social and health care systems, is not set up in a way for individuals with disabilities to thrive. This lack of accessibility can lead to emotional distress, reduced educational and work opportunities, and increased isolation, among other things. Today, people are more sensitive compared to the lack of inclusion, equality, and autonomy that occurred in the era The Circus Train is set, but I think many people still may not consider accessibility issues, so I wanted to offer insight through Lena's experiences.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train

“But there was no denying the truth—her life would be easier if she could walk. Not better. Just simpler.”
― Amita Parikh, The Circus Train