Firefly Lane: A Novel

Kristin Hannah is an exquisite writer! Many of her books bring tears, at least for me, but somehow this one (which evolved into a series) touched me very, very much. Great characters, wonderful settings, and a complex but absorbing story. Two girls who live across the street from each other in Snohomish, WA, not far from Seattle, are very different--one has everything she could want, and the other has almost nothing. One has a family, one has an aged aunt, who dies, leaving her the owner of property she can't live in because she's too young to live alone legally. Kate's family takes her in. Tully is complex and driven, wanting a big life that can fulfill all her wishes to become someone important. Kate, who is a cared for and loved child, is not too sure of what she wants. So, she follows Tully into a plan for college and working together and being lifelong friends. How that plan plays out is what makes the book so readable and wonderful.

When I began reading "Fire Fly Lane," I almost tossed it aside as fodder for another chick flick. It was a book club assignment; no need to torture myself. But I gave it a second chance and discovered a poignant story of a lifelong friendship between two women beginning when they were teenagers and following the ups and downs that most people face in one form or another. The effects of family dynamics on how children develop and handle the vagaries of life show the differences between Kate and Tully and their choices of life styles, their values, and what they contribute to their relationship and relationships with others. Tully's mother deserts her at birth, then drifts in and out of her life, each time heaping devastation on her. The one constant is her grandmother, who raised her most of her life. In contrast, Kate is raised in a loving family. Tully never overcame the scars of childhood, even though Kate's family took her in and treated her as one of their own. They were, however, primarily responsible for her success in life, though that success came at great personal cost, and almost finished off her friendship with Kate. The strong work ethic she developed over time paid off in a big way Tully's dream was to become a reporter and eventually a network news anchor. She planned her life and Kate's, too. They were to be the dream team dream. Bigger than life Tully dragged an increasingly ambivalent Kate along, setting the stage for a life of disappointment and betrayal for Kate as Tully became taken by the story at the expense of the subjects. She became more successful as she vied for the man Kate loved. Through Kate's meteoric rise to fame, she unabashedly used Kate for a story with no regard for feelings, seriously jepordizing the friendship. Each time, Tully talked Kate into taking her back--never apologizing and somehow turning it around so that Kate was the one apologizing instead of Tully. One thing Kate never forgot, however, was that Tully was once involved with her husband. And that strand of uncertainty threads through the story, appears and disappears. Tully never changes, never apologizes for who she is. Then a sudden twist turns all their lives upside down. All the old fears and insecurities rise to the surface. Tully is thrown together with Kate and her family. Kate's daughter, who idolizes Tully, causes problems when Tully, her godmother, lavishes expensive gifts on her and disagrees with Kate over discipline issues. The result is powerful and tears at the very fabric of their lives. These old insecurities Tully has from childhood are met with a Kate who no longer stays in the background but stands up to her. The explosive ending changes everything and forces them to reassess their lives and what they all mean to each other. The characters are three dimensional and believable reflect reflection of life. Everyone can identify with something in the book. The pathos of growing up in Tully's home, the contrasting loving home in which Kate grew up. The give and take--the mostly take on Tully's side and her neediness. The choices each of them made and the cost in life terms because of those choices. "Firefly Lane" explores the inner depth of the human spirit and the strength it has when dealt a bad hand--the resilience of the spirit, and the strength of friendship when tested under the worst of circumstances. For this, I recommend it as a five star read. Give it a chance. If you put it down too soon, you'll miss out on a truly heart rending commentary on human feelings and emotions--the ability to sieze the best and find that that extrordinary fount of courage within to handle the worst that life throws at us. I am glad I kept reading. When I neared the end, I had to put it down for several days before I could finish it. Without realizing it, I had made an emotional investment in the characters and needed time to step back for awhile. That was a first. Something about "Firefly Lane" resonated in me.

I really enjoyed this book. Being just a few years older than the main characters, I could relate well to all of the incidents, songs, and language of the time. It’s a pretty big book with 479 pages. At times, I felt like some of it was just “ unnecessary filler”, in order to make the story longer. The reason I give it just four stars instead of five is because I didn’t really care for the ending of the book. The ending was very lackluster and abrupt. I kind of felt let down by the ending because it was such a thick book, it took me several days to read it. And then a lackluster ending. But all in all, I really enjoyed it. Also, the book had a big crease in it when I received it and about the first 1/3 of the book, the pages were bent where the crease was. That made it a little harder to deal with and also less than pristine condition when I received it. Books cost so much nowadays, I felt like I didn’t get my moneys worth with a big dent in the book.

Loved this book!! A heart touching and enthralling story!! Hats off to Kristin Hannah!! One of the best novels on Friendship which I have ever read!! A Must Read!!

Un libro assolutamente da leggere, travolgente e che non vorresti finisse mai

It’s 1974 and Kate Mullarkey is a teenaged girl at the bottom of the high school social pecking order until Tully Hart moves in across the road. Tully is instantly the coolest girl in school and also wants to be friends with Kate. They become best friends and begin planning the rest of their lives together and though their lives change along the way, their friendship remains the one constant until an act of betrayal changes everything. When tragedy strikes, can they put their differences aside and come back together one last time? I watched the first series of Firefly Lane a while ago on Netflix and loved it but with one thing or another I haven’t got round to watching the second series yet. I saw the book in the 99p sale for Kindle when I was stocking up for my holiday but have only just got round to reading it. I know there are definitely some differences between the book and the tv show but it’s a while since I watched the show so I’m not sure exactly how different it is. I absolutely loved this. Hannah’s writing drew me in and kept me wanting more. It had such a nice flow to it, which made for a very easy read. The slight feeling of familiarity from watching the show was kind of comforting and at its best the friendship between Kate and Tully reminded me of my own best friends. I don’t want to spoil anything but for someone who doesn’t tend to be overly emotional I was almost crying at my desk towards the end of this yesterday. It’s honestly a lovely, wholesome story of female friendships and the ways they change and grow over the years.

Kristin HannahさんのNight Roadがあまりにも面白かったのでアマゾンで取り寄せました。 この人は本当に悲しいストーリーを書くのが好きですね。 「育児放棄された女の子」と「育ちのいい女の子」が高校時代に出逢い、そこから大親友として二人で人生を共に過ごしていきます。キャリアをとるか、家庭をとるか、そのような二人の葛藤がお互いを傷つけあいながら、そして励まし合いながらストーリーが展開していきます。 ただ、Night Roadと比べると、明らかにドキドキ度、せつなさ度がおとります。 どうも登場人物を好きになることが出来ませんでした。 478ページとなかなかのボリュームがありますが、話が面白くなってきたのは最後の１００ページくらいです。 Night Roadを読むことを強くお勧めします。

Two very close friends, one from " the wrong side of the tracks". That didn't matter to the other friend. They had formed such a strong bond between them. A wonderful story between friends and Kristen Hannah has weaved such a heart rending story. Keep the tissues handy!