Firefly Lane, by Kristin Hannah
Series: Firefly Lane #1
Published by St Martin’s Press, February 2020 (first published 5th February 2008)
Genres: Chick-lit, romance
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Trigger warnings: sexual assault, drug abuse, terminal illness, bereavement
Synopsis
Kate and Tully have been best friends since they were both 13 and lived across the street from one another. But even at that age, they could not have been more different; Kate was shy and uncool, with a loving family who embarrassed her at every turn; Tully was the coolest girl in the world, popular and ambitious, but nursing a secret heartache caused by her mother’s addiction and abandonment. Nonetheless, they saw something in each other and forged a bond that would last into the new Millennium.
Tully’s ambition has taken her to the dizzying heights of fame as a TV news anchor and now with her own daytime talk show. Kate realised early on that a life of fame and fortune was not for her. Her ambition was to fall in love and have children. What she did not expect, however, was how achieving this goal would change her forever. Throughout all of this, Tully and Kate have stuck together, supporting one another through thick and thin. But even the strongest friendships can be tested.
My thoughts
Another beautifully written book by Kristin Hannah. I loved that the focus of this story is a female friendship, one that is strong and enduring but also has flaws. Just like the people involved, no friendship is perfect and I think we are too often presented nowadays with an ideal of the perfect female friendship, or one that is toxic and only serves to bring the characters down. I found a lot to relate to in Kate and Tully’s relationship.
The characters are beautifully created and came across as very realistic. These are real women, with plenty of flaws and bad habits. But that is what makes them all the more believable. As does the fact that their best friend knows them the best, understands all these facets of their personality and calls them out when they are not being themselves.
I won’t give away any spoilers, but the ending was particularly emotional for me. I’m not a big crier and I really don’t cry very often at books. But this one made me cry! I read the last few chapters with tears streaming down my face. The ending was so beautifully written and it was very evocative and moving.
I would really recommend this book for a book club or just simply for a heart-warming tale of friendship.
My rating: 4/5
Side note: the recent Netflix adaptation of Firefly Lane is only loosely based on this book, so don’t go into it expecting to see the events of the book play out on screen. But it is still very good in its own right.