Hilda van Stockum, The Borrowed House

"She thought it must be a lonely life for a boy who hated books."

"It is much easier to believe lies than the truth." "Why" asked Janna. "Because lies are manufactured to satisfy the emotions. A mother would rather believe her pretty girl lazy than accept the fact that she's a dumb cluck. Germans would rather believe they were stabbed in the back than that they lost a fair fight. And anyone would rather blame someone else for his misfortunes. The truth is hard. Don't fool with it unless you realize that."