Recent Read: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

First things first--Which of you do I have to blame for recommending this book to a pregnant woman? BAD NEWS, my friends. I read this book on our trip to Florida, and spent the majority of our flight home choking back sobs and trying to hide my steadily falling tears. I guess I should be grateful I was in the window seat! So yeah, whoever you are (I know there were a few of you)... THANKS A LOT! ;)

Firefly Lane is the story of lifelong friendship. Two young girls--Kate, an introverted outcast at school, and Tully, a beautiful, social butterfly--cross paths when Tully moves in across the street from Kate in 1974. Both girls (who are 14 years old) have something missing in their lives that they are looking to fill--and they find something special in each other.

The book spans a 30-year time period, during which we witness the ebbs and flows of Kate and Tully's relationship. Their friendship is far from perfect--Tully takes and takes and takes, rather selfishly, and as a reader, it can be frustrating at times. I sometimes found myself wondering why Kate put up with any of it, as she was a much better friend to Tully than Tully ever was to her. However, I came to realize that this is true of so many real-life relationships. As outsiders, we often look at relationships and can't understand how they work... but somehow, they do.

Tully's goal in life is to be rich, successful, and famous, and she is tremendously driven when it comes to her career. In contrast, Kate graduates college without the same fire in her belly--what Kate longs for is to find true love, get married, and raise a family. Through the turns of the pages, we follow Tully through her professional victories and Kate through her journey to love. And their friendship withstands it all. Eventually, however, their relationship is put to the test. Will it survive?

The book is long, but engaging. I had no problem starting and finishing this book on our vacation, and I really looked forward to getting out to the pool to read it every day. Although I have many close friends in my life, I don't have a "BFF" (besides my mom!) like Tully and Kate are to each other. As someone who doesn't have a relationship like that, I found it fascinating and touching to read about one. I think a lot of us long for that kind of a deep connection with a friend.

All in all, this is a beautifully written novel and I highly recommend it as an addition to your summer reading lists!