Rating: 4 stars
Firefly Lane. Home to Tully Hart and Kate Mularkey, possibly the two most unlikely girls to meet or become friends. Initially stunned and wary of one another, their friendship is eventually signed and sealed by tragic secrets and traumatic events.
Kate and Tully. Best of friends through thick and thin, rise and fall. They maintain that bond, decade after decade, in that way only known to sisters, soulmates, and forever friends. What happens when men and children, different dreams and divergent lifestyles enter the picture? And how do you stay friends with a person who breaks your heart time and again, yet never says they're sorry?
I'll be blunt: I hate chick lit. Really and truly, I do. With that out of the way, I must say I spent an entire weekend engrossed in this book, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Kristin Hannah not only nails down believable personal interaction and nuanced dialogue, she also has the most spot-on portrayal of the Puget Sound area that I have read in my life. Having lived there for part of my childhood, I can say the only missed invocation that could have made it more complete is Seattle Fudge. As well, Hannah perfectly demonstrates the jealousies and tensions that occur between best friends. Some of them can only occur between best friends! This is one of the things that allows Firefly Lane to rise above the usual pile of chick lit dreck. The personalities, conflicts and scenarios actually feel "real", which is a nice change of pace. Part of me wondered, on occasion, if one or two of the characters were, in fact, thinly veiled portraits of real-life people.
Ultimately, I highly recommend Firefly Lane. I feel it would make an excellent screenplay, as well. Unfortunately, that isn't likely to happen due to the actual depth and attention that would be required to make it a successful adaptation. Coyote Ugly, this is not! Beyond that, I would like to state that this book is best suited for reading in bed, in the bath, or on a weekend when you are alone. And if you have an excellent imagination or happen to be pregnant, keep a box of tissues close at hand. This may be chick lit, but it isn't fluffy.
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Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (February 5, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0312364083
ISBN-13: 978-0312364083