Paula Hawkins, born on August 26, 1972, in Harare, Zimbabwe, is a British author best known for her bestselling novel “The Girl on the Train.” Hawkins moved to London in 1989 and worked as a journalist for several years, writing for publications such as The Times and The Daily Telegraph. She published her first novel, “Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista,” under the pen name Amy Silver in 2009. However, it was her psychological thriller “The Girl on the Train,” published in 2015, that catapulted her to international fame. The novel became a massive bestseller, topping the New York Times Fiction Best Sellers list for several weeks and spawning a successful film adaptation. Hawkins’ writing is characterized by its suspenseful plots, complex characters, and skillful exploration of the darker aspects of human nature.
And I can’t do this, I can’t just be a wife. I don’t understand how anyone does it—there is literally nothing to do but wait. Wait for a man to come home and love you. Either that or look around for something to distract you.
Paula Hawkins – The Girl on the Train
I lie to myself all the time. But I never believe me.
Paula Hawkins – The Girl on the Train
When did you become so weak? I don’t know. I don’t know where that strength went, I don’t remember losing it.
Paula Hawkins – The Girl on the Train
Sometimes I don’t even know if I’m acting. Maybe I am a happy, cheerful person who drinks too much.
Paula Hawkins – The Girl on the Train
I can’t do this, I can’t just be someone’s wife.
Paula Hawkins – The Girl on the Train
I want to drag knives over my skin, just to feel something other than shame, but I’m not even brave enough for that.
Paula Hawkins – The Girl on the Train
You’re stuck in a place you don’t want to be, with no way out, no options.
Paula Hawkins – The Girl on the Train
I can’t stop thinking about her, about what she’s doing, who she’s doing it with.
Paula Hawkins – The Girl on the Train
Memory’s a slippery thing. The most treacherous thing about it is that you often get what you think you want.
Paula Hawkins – The Girl on the Train