Synopsis
From the New York Times bestselling author of On Mystic Lake comes a powerful novel of love, loss, and the magic of friendship. . . .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.
Audiobook Review
DNF at 90%
I loved the Nightingale but the ending had me sobbing.
In Firefly Lane I am just SO ANGRY.
I can’t believe that Kristin Hannah went that road.
I don’t want to give away any spoilers but by that point it was too much for me. I personally need other endings.
After the Nightingale I intended on reading all her books but now, I will have to ask some friends first to know if “this” is a pattern in her books. If it is, whatever the beauty of writing or the mastery of the writer, I will stop reading these stories because…I just can’t stand it.
Kristin Hannah’s writing is beautiful and she captured all the intricate emotions of teenage hearts into adulthood in vivid details.
Following Tallula and Kate’s friendship was both amazing and tiring.
Tally was a real diva more often than not. I perfectly grasped why she was like that but she annoyed me too.
I guess I connected more with Kate. Unsecured teenager, always following Tally, always in her shadow for so long. Living Tally’s dream until she finally had the courage to choose her own path.
That path was not stardom but motherhood.
Kristin Hannah showed us that even if we reach our dreams, that does not mean that life is easy.
Tally wanted fame and she got it. But she wanted more. Always more. She wanted her friend’s family. She wanted to come back to a house that was not empty.
Masses adoration and a fat bank account was not enough.
Kate always dreamed to be a mother. But motherhood and being a stay at home can be so hard too. Especially when your kids are teenagers and very demanding. Kate is exhausted. And I totally connected with her. I have never been a stay-at-home mom but I raised two kids and teenage years were brutal too.
Kate is also harsh on herself. Judging her “lack of ambition”.
While Tally’s body remains young and fit, aided by makeup artists, personal coach and surgeons, Kate’s body went through several pregnancies.
Every mother could relate to these feelings that were superbly captured by Kristin Hannah’s prose.
This book is filled with longing. With missed moments. With pivotal choices. With chance encounters. With dreams, despair and hopes. It’s filled with friendship and compromises.
It’s about the place of a mother in her daughter’s education and psyche.
It’s about presence and absence. About wounds that never heal.
This book is about life and death.
This is a gorgeous book but I just couldn’t finish as it asked too much of me. I was too involved and I just couldn’t face it anymore.
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
Okay even though this isn’t the most glowing of reviews I’m kinda intrigued at this one now
That’s so far to get in a book for it just to be a DNF, hugs! I’m thinking it’s not a HEA? And if that’s the case I’d do the same, I desperately need my HFN or HEA. Here’s hoping you love the next book you pick up so much more!
Wow! To DNF that late in a book. That’s a first! 😮 I’m sure you have a very good reason to do so though. Thanks for sharing your experience! 😀
Well I knew I would not survive that ending without becoming a waterfall Lashaan! So I chickened out, pure and simple. LOL
I was supposed to read it last year as a buddy read, and never got to it. BUT instead I’m going to watch the new show on Netflix, and won’t feel bad about it at all – lol.
~ Corina | thebrowneyedbookworm.com
Corina you’ll tell me how it goes with the show LOL
You’ve just made me really curious as to what the ending is! Sorry it didn’t work out for you Sophie, there have been books I’ve wanted to DNF at the last 4% and then just toughed it out, but these things definitely happen. What’s the ending? Really
Let’s just say that not everyone will make it and I need my HEA Ari!
If I remember correctly, this was the first one I ever read by Hannah. I loved it, even though I sobbed and it completely broke my heart. So I can understand your feelings. But even with the heartache, I loved it and thought it was phenomenal.
That’s why I am rating it five stars Tanya! But after the Nightingale the month before, it was too much in such short time period for my poor heart.
I didn’t mind the ending, but I completely understand where you’re coming from.
Now I need to know what that ending was!
Caro I’ll message you!
I’m here!! And on messenger!!!
Great review! I’ve DNF’d a book around 90% too because of something the author did. I’m also interested in what exactly made you DNF it.
Well Nadine let’s just say that one of the character I was really invested from the start would not get a HEA at all and my heart was already breaking. So I preferred not knowing than crying all the tears.
Oh no! Yeah, that’ll do it. It’s disappointing when an author does that after you’ve become so heavily invested.
This is fairly complementary given it’s a DNF review, but obviously I am curious about what happened to force this decision.
As I said to Alexandra below I was so invested in the characters and I need my HEA. When I knew I wouldn’t get it, I preferred burrying my head in the sand and leave it unfinished.
I would have thrown the book out the window
Wow, that’s very unusual for you, Sophie, especially with this being an audio. Leaving me wondering just what was going on for you to feel this way? Oh dear …
Well Alexandra let’s say that I need my HEA in most of my books and I knew I wouldn’t get it here. I was so invested in these characters that I literally could not stand to read about the ending and preferred leave it in the ether.