16 Quotes & Sayings By Deborah Harkness

Born in a small, rural town in southern Wisconsin, Deborah Harkness was inspired early on to write. She studied creative writing at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and received her M.A. from the University of Iowa. In addition to being a professional writer, Harkness is a gifted historian and author who has written numerous books on the American Revolution Read more

Her first book was inspired by her great-great-great-grandfather, a doctor who lived during the War of 1812 and may have been present at the Battle of New Orleans. It was a first novel that became an instant bestseller. Harkness rose quickly to fame as a result of her next book, which she wrote while teaching at Princeton University's Center for Human Values.

This time her subject was another war hero, Abraham Lincoln—the man who freed the slaves. In 2000 President Bill Clinton awarded Harkness the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor—in recognition of her work as an author. Harkness is also a regular contributor to The New York Times Book Review and The Washington Post Book World.

My ideas about vampires may be romantic, but your attitudes...
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My ideas about vampires may be romantic, but your attitudes toward women need a major overhaul. Deborah Harkness
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The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed (Albert Einstein) Deborah Harkness
And fear was the strongest force on earth.
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And fear was the strongest force on earth. Deborah Harkness
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Don't consider painful what's good for you. Deborah Harkness
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I trust my wife's judgement... That's what Philippe says about Granny, just before all hell breaks loose. Deborah Harkness
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A ma vie de coer entier. Mon debut et ma fin. Se souvenir du passe, et qu'il ya un avenir. My whole heart for my whole life. With an alpha and an omega: my beginning and my end. Remember the past, and that there is a future. Deborah Harkness
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If you truly love someone, you will cherish what they despise most about themselves" - Fernando Conclaves Deborah Harkness
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All that children need is love, a grown-up to take responsibility for them, and a soft place to land. Deborah Harkness
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Matthew kept hinting that his desire - for blood, chiefly- was so strong that it put everything else at risk. But vampires weren’t the only creatures who had to manage such strong impulses. Much of what qualified as magic was simply desire in action. Witchcraft was different- that took spells and rituals. But magic? A wish, a need, a hunger too strong to be denied- these could turn into deeds when they cross a witch’s mind. Deborah Harkness
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Your father says a wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountaintop. Deborah Harkness
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Giving a woman your whole life is meaningless without giving her your whole heart as well. Deborah Harkness
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Impossible, '" Matthew said."' Impossible n'est pas français, ' Ysabeau said, her tone tart as vinegar. 'And it certainly was not a word in your father's vocabulary. Deborah Harkness
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I want a simple, ordinary life .. . like humans enjoy. Deborah Harkness
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I teach 18- to 21-year-olds - the 'Harry Potter' generation. They grew up as voracious readers, reading books in this exploding genre. But at some point, I would love for them to give Umberto Eco or A.S. Byatt a try. I hope 'A Discovery of Witches' will serve as a kind of stepping-stone. Deborah Harkness
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My niece was very much caught up in the vampire craze for young adults, and she thought having a vampire boyfriend would be a cool thing. What do you do on a first date? The more I thought about it, the more fun I had imagining what you'd serve a vampire for dinner. Deborah Harkness