Title: Firefly Lane
Author: Kristin Hannah
ISBN: 9781447229537
Publisher: St Martin’s Press / Pan MacMillan
Pages: 479
Source: My daughter, Tristan, gave me this copy
In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all—beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface, they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate. Inseparable.
So begins Kristin Hannah’s magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.
From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul. But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success . . . and loneliness.
Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn’t know is how being a wife and mother will change her . . . how she’ll lose sight of who she once was, and what she once wanted. And how much she’ll envy her famous best friend. . . .
For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship—jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart . . . and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.
Firefly Lane is for anyone who ever drank Boone’s Farm apple wine while listening to Abba or Fleetwood Mac. More than a coming-of-age novel, it’s the story of a generation of women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It’s about promises and secrets and betrayals. And ultimately, about the one person who really, truly knows you—and knows what has the power to hurt you . . . and heal you. Firefly Lane is a story you’ll never forget . . . one you’ll want to pass on to your best friend.
Official Summary
I started watching the series on Netflix, and the very next day I stumbled across a review on Instagram by alissa_reads_and_recs – I was so excited I simply had to get my hands on a copy of this book.
The minute I opened this book I knew I would be reaching for the box of tissues, but still, I simply had to read this. Every once in a while, I enjoy a book that manages to bring a tear to my eye. Well, Firefly Lane did not just bring a tear to my eye, this book felt me with tears streaming down my cheeks. This book about friendship and betray will stay with you for a long time. It is a book you will share with your girlfriends and your daughters.
I mostly spend my time with thriller and mystery authors, so this was my introduction to Kristin Hannah, who completely blew me away. She tells her story magnificently, drawing you into the tale, allowing you to experience the emotions as if they were your own.
The story begins in 1974 when Tully and Kate meet and form an unlikely friendship. From there the author takes you through decade after decade, sharing these two women’s friendship with all the ups and downs. An emotional ride that leaves tears rolling down your face uncontrollably, blurring the words on the page as you are unable to put this book down.
This is a book I will cherish; I do not doubt that I will read it again in the future. This story was both beautiful and sad. Having watched the first season of the Netflix series I thought I knew what to expect. However, the book is different, the characters a lot more colourful and the emotions so much stronger.
Tully Hart unfortunately did not appeal to me. She was forced to endure a lot during her childhood and part of me felt sorry for her. But early on she was shellfish. I did not see her as a good friend at all. Everything had to be about Tully and that annoyed me. On the other hand, Kate appeared to be an angel. She was insecure and humble and always put Tully first. There is no doubt, Kate is a much stronger woman than I am. Kate is the friend we all want.
Mrs Mularkey was brilliant, I loved her. She was the perfect wise mother, who always seemed to have the right advice ready.
Oh, and let’s not forget about Johnny. Throughout the book, I had my doubts about him, but he never let me down. Johnny turned into a pleasant surprise.
This story is going to stay with me for a long time, not to mention the memory of my husband sitting across the room asking me what was wrong with me when I reached the end. Firefly Lane is an easy addition to my loved list for 2021 – actually, I think this book has rocketed to my all-time favourite top 10. Yes, I loved it that much.
This is one of those books that every woman should read at least once. It is heart-warming, sad and simply impossible to put down. Ladies, get a copy, read it and be prepared to shed a couple of tears.
About the Author
Bio from the author’s site
Kristin Hannah is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster, The Nightingale, Winter Garden, Night Road, and Firefly Lane.
Her novel, The Nightingale, has been published in 43 languages and is currently in movie production at TriStar Pictures, which also optioned her novel, The Great Alone. Her novel, Home Front has been optioned for film by 1492 Films (produced the Oscar-nominated The Help) with Chris Columbus attached to direct.
Kristin is a former-lawyer-turned writer who lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. Her novel, Firefly Lane, became a runaway bestseller in 2009, a touchstone novel that brought women together, and The Nightingale, in 2015 was voted a best book of the year by Amazon, Buzzfeed, iTunes, Library Journal, Paste, The Wall Street Journal and The Week. Additionally, the novel won the coveted Goodreads and People’s Choice Awards. The audiobook of The Nightingale won the Audiobook of the Year Award in the fiction category.
I hope you enjoyed this review, thank you for reading. Have you read this book or watched the series? What do you think, leave a comment below? If you haven’t yet, get yourself a copy of this book, it is simply beautiful! Until next time….Happy Reading!
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Really great review!
Thank you