Book Review | Firefly Lane | By Kristin Hannah
Book Review | Contemporary Women’s Fiction
My thoughts
Narrative and Plot
Firefly Lane is my first ever Kristin Hannah experience. Even after knowing how hard hitting her stories can be, I was still surprised by how deep it went. Honestly, I am not a fan of getting emotional with my reading. As if there isn’t enough drama in real life anyway. Here’s what I loved about the book. The narrative shifted between Tully and Kate, the two main characters. It is their friendship over the decades and there wasn’t even a moment of confusion as to whose voice was which. That’s how distinct they were in their personas and tone.
The plot is engaging and definitely takes you down the memory lane with the two friends. Even without knowing all the pop culture references , I was still immersed in the world of Kate and Tully. However, after a certain point, it felt a bit endless. It was clear the story was building up to this big falling apart but it just went on and on. In the end, it teases your emotions in unexpected ways and reins you in. But it does feel like decades.
Characters and Conflicts
The friendship between Tully and Kate felt real. And Johnny Ryan would be one of my favorite male leads in a female centric story for some time now. However, as real friendships go it wasn’t black and white. To some extent this was what I loved about the book. It ventured out to that grey area where no one is exactly right or wrong. There is a complicated delicacy in the relationships as they grow and that made the characters relatable.
However, as I mentioned earlier, the conflict felt dragged out. And in an effort to showcase a lifetime , Tully actually became tiring by the end of it. She possibly crossed every single line that should not be crossed and yet there was barely any redemption for her. Yes, things don’t work out that way in real life. But it doesn’t matter because you feel like a character got away too easily.
Conclusion
Firefly Lane is not everyone’s cup of tea. It has many trigger warnings. So make sure you do your research before picking it up. However, it is a story that stays with you hours after you finish reading. Particularly, because of the emotional rollercoaster ride that you are on with Kate and Tully.
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