I finally finished reading Firefly Lane after having it sit by my bedside for some time. Quite surprisingly the back of the book suggests it will be a book 'you won't be able to turn the pages fast enough on' but this didn't really turnout to be the case. I struggled to read the book even though I actually enjoyed it while reading it. This might seem strange, yet after thinking about it I realised that the complexity of the storyline probably had much to do with my inability to dedicate myself to finishing it. It is a 'big' book.
The novel covers a thirty-plus year time span and details the story between Tully and Kate who meet on Firefly Lane as girls and develop a friendship that will last through love, loss and the growing pains we all experience throughout life. The story is detail rich, and KH is able to bring to life the most ordinary of details with her vivid descriptions and recollections. One of my favourite aspects of the story was the way in which it was told (even though at times the language was a little too colourful for my taste).
From the very beginning you realise that these are 'big' characters, and they are playing 'big' parts. I have no doubt that they are meant to represent ordinary women, but there is very little that is ordinary about them, and I personally couldn't relate to either of their individual characters. The one thing that I could relate to though was their friendship.
Tully and Kate were women who came from different worlds, then fate stepped in and for a short time they shared the same world, and then they inevitably moved on to different paths that saw their lifestyles clash at times, and their worlds become miles apart. But it was the short time they shared together where their world was the same that created a friendship that could never be broken, no matter what the circumstances might be.
I have read reviews of the book were people hated Tully for being 'too much' and Kate for being 'not enough', suggesting their differences would never survive a true friendship. Perhaps that is one of the things I am willing to embrace. I know personally that a friendship I was blessed with as a young girl is not now, and never was based on 'sameness'. Friendship exists when two people share common bonds and when you can count on the other person to be there for you whenever the need arises- and there was no doubt that Tully and Kate shared a deep bond.
The story moves along and you find yourself an eyewitness to the character's lifestyle choices. Tully becomes a celebrity journalist while Kate devotes herself to life at home with her children. Each woman finds herself questioning the choices she made and examining the life that lead them to their final destination. Their friendship takes a few knocks in the process, but the ending is not one you see coming. Without giving the end away, you find yourself reaching for the Kleenex, and being ever so grateful for the women in your life you get to call 'friend'.
The novel covers a thirty-plus year time span and details the story between Tully and Kate who meet on Firefly Lane as girls and develop a friendship that will last through love, loss and the growing pains we all experience throughout life. The story is detail rich, and KH is able to bring to life the most ordinary of details with her vivid descriptions and recollections. One of my favourite aspects of the story was the way in which it was told (even though at times the language was a little too colourful for my taste).
From the very beginning you realise that these are 'big' characters, and they are playing 'big' parts. I have no doubt that they are meant to represent ordinary women, but there is very little that is ordinary about them, and I personally couldn't relate to either of their individual characters. The one thing that I could relate to though was their friendship.
Tully and Kate were women who came from different worlds, then fate stepped in and for a short time they shared the same world, and then they inevitably moved on to different paths that saw their lifestyles clash at times, and their worlds become miles apart. But it was the short time they shared together where their world was the same that created a friendship that could never be broken, no matter what the circumstances might be.
I have read reviews of the book were people hated Tully for being 'too much' and Kate for being 'not enough', suggesting their differences would never survive a true friendship. Perhaps that is one of the things I am willing to embrace. I know personally that a friendship I was blessed with as a young girl is not now, and never was based on 'sameness'. Friendship exists when two people share common bonds and when you can count on the other person to be there for you whenever the need arises- and there was no doubt that Tully and Kate shared a deep bond.
The story moves along and you find yourself an eyewitness to the character's lifestyle choices. Tully becomes a celebrity journalist while Kate devotes herself to life at home with her children. Each woman finds herself questioning the choices she made and examining the life that lead them to their final destination. Their friendship takes a few knocks in the process, but the ending is not one you see coming. Without giving the end away, you find yourself reaching for the Kleenex, and being ever so grateful for the women in your life you get to call 'friend'.
Four stars.
1 comment:
That sounds interesting ... Love the cover ....
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