Book: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Read From: 9th June - 12th June 2021
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: Tully and Kate have been best friends for over 30 years - since 1974. Their friendship is unlikely but is the most important thing to both of the girls, particularly as they navigate their school life, ambitions, careers, relationships and families.
Wow, I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. It’s no surprise that I feel so strongly towards Tully and Kate considering this 400+ page novel follows their journey, but I wasn’t prepared to still be thinking about them this much after finishing the book!
Both girls are strong protagonists in their own right. Tully and Kate come from very different backgrounds and have had extremely different upbringings, yet their loyalty and love for one another is consistent right from day one. Particularly in the beginning of the book, it was really interesting to see the stereotypical childhood 'jealousy' of wanting what the other had. This was very relatable but was also interesting as the reader to have an insiders perspective that shows the importance of not judging a book by it's cover. In the age of social media and 'influencer' culture, this is just as applicable in adulthood as it is in childhood - you never know what goes on behind closed doors; other people will only show you what they want you to see.
As Tully and Kate get older, their life aspirations become reality and the girls need to start juggling their careers and relationships with their friendship. This made up the biggest chunk of the book, and whilst I enjoyed the reading experience I couldn't help but get increasingly frustrated with Tully in particular. I felt like she only cared about herself and was pretty selfish despite her insistence on how much she loved Kate. However, I can't knock the book for this - it could well have been done on purpose to ensure the final 100 pages were as impactful as they were.
If this was the case, then the desired effect was 10000% achieved. Without giving too much away, I absolutely bawled my eyes out. I binge-read the majority of this book whilst waiting for my boyfriend to fix his car and I vividly remember trying (and miserably failing) to contain all of my tears, particularly as it was hitting very close to home. It’s books such as Firefly Lane that cause you to really reflect on, and appreciate, who and what you have around you - especially friends and family. This novel taught me to be grateful for everyone and to not take my support network for granted. I will definitely be getting around to the sequel ‘Fly Away’ at some point, and I’m also looking forward to giving the Netflix adaptation a try - although I have been told that it’s very different!