Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
At once a coming of age novel and the story of a lifelong friendship, Firefly Lane explores the lives of Katie Mularcky and Tullulah “Tully” Hart as they grow together, apart, and together again over the span of four decades. With a beautifully written narrative style, the true beauty of this book is Hannah’s skill at character development. Neither Katie or Tully are perfect, and their friendship is often tested by their own insecurities and ambitions. But this isn’t just their story. It’s also the story of the men in their lives, most importantly Johnny, Katie’s husband, as well as Tully’s mostly absent pothead mother, Cloud, Katie’s parents, and Johnny and Katie’s children, especially their eldest daughter, Marah, who from day one pushes every button and then some, all the while idolizing Tully. Throughout it all, family, both functional and dysfunctional, provide the backdrop for the lives of two very different women, one for whom fame and fortune are never quite enough, and the other who sets her own dreams aside to be a stay-at-home mother. Exceptional.