Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm

“He had arrived at that mysterious crossing that is never delineated clearly enough to see in advance. He sipped his martini, not liking it particularly, and knew that childhood had ended, and he felt a profound sadness and loneliness."
– Chapter 1, pg. 7

“Men had gone out there. Singly and in small groups they had gone into strange lands, across wide seas, had climbed mountains where no human foot had ever trod. What impulse had driven them from their own kind to perish alone, or among strangers? All those ruined houses designed for one, two, three people, lived in by so few, deliberately isolating themselves from others of their own kind. We used isolation for punishment. And yet those other men of the distant past had sought isolation, and he couldn’t think why.” – Chapter 12, pg. 92

“If someone had a bad heart, would you treat his ear because it was easier?” – Chapter 14, pg. 107

“One part of its body was missing, had been missing for a long time. And the missing part, like an amputated limb, caused phantom pain.” – Chapter 15, pg, 116

“There’s something about the eyes they just don’t have. Theirs only see outward, I think, and yours, and those of the other men in the pictures, they can look both ways.” – Chapter 17, pg. 128

“The mysteries had been answered, and he knew what the books meant when the authors spoke of finding happiness, as if it were a thing that perseverance would lead one to.” – Chapter 26, pg. 220

“He had led his people into a timeless period, where the recurring seasons and the cycles of the heavens and of life, birth, and death marked their days. Now the joys of men and women, and their agonies, were private affairs that would come and go without trace. In the timeless period life became the goal, not the re-creation of the past or the elaborate structuring of the future. The fan of possibilities had almost closed, but was opening once more, and each new child widened its spread. More than that couldn’t be asked.” – Chapter 29 pg. 250

So those were some of my favorite book quotes from Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang.
Even though the author has the science behind cloning all wrong,

Wilhelm's book is one of those you will never forget. It was creepy. Chilling to say the least. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fast read. And just because my inner scientist can't be silenced, I guess I'll point out the book's errors. A community of clones would not look identical - environmental factors have a greater influence over gene expression than many people realize. Plus, the clone of a doctor wouldn't necessarily be predisposed to pursue the same profession. There. Now go read this knowing the truth.