Jay

Some attribute had departed from her, the permanence of which had been essential to keep her a woman. Such is frequently the fate, and such the stern development, of the feminine character and person, when the woman has encountered, and lived through, an experience of peculiar severity. If she be all tenderness, she will die. If she survive, the tenderness will either be crushed out of her, or—and the outward semblance is the same—crushed so deeply into her heart that it can never show itself more. The latter is perhaps the truest theory.

Some of the most memorable essays from this book include the one about the whale, the piece on consultants, and the very last one in the book. Some of theses I wish I had read years ago—especially as a student. There's a great comfort in having someone else use words to describe what you're feeling. The fictional stories are beautiful, emotional, and messy with many memorable moments and lines.