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    Firefly Lane: A Novel
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    Firefly Lane: A Novel
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    Firefly Lane: A Novel
    Ebook624 pages9 hours

    Firefly Lane: A Novel

    By Kristin Hannah

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    From the New York Times bestselling author of On Mystic Lake comes a powerful novel of love, loss, and the magic of friendship. . . .

    In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the "coolest girl in the world" moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all---beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer's end they've become TullyandKate. Inseparable.

    So begins Kristin Hannah's magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.

    From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul. But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success . . . and loneliness.

    Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn't know is how being a wife and mother will change her . . . how she'll lose sight of who she once was, and what she once wanted. And how much she'll envy her famous best friend. . . .

    For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship---jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they've survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart . . . and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.

    Firefly Lane is for anyone who ever drank Boone's Farm apple wine while listening to Abba or Fleetwood Mac. More than a coming-of-age novel, it's the story of a generation of women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It's about promises and secrets and betrayals. And ultimately, about the one person who really, truly knows you---and knows what has the power to hurt you . . . and heal you. Firefly Lane is a story you'll never forget . . . one you'll want to pass on to your best friend.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateFeb 5, 2008
    ISBN9781429927840
    Author

    Kristin Hannah

    Kristin Hannah is an award-winning international number one bestselling author with over 25 million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her most recent titles, The Four Winds, The Nightingale and The Great Alone won numerous best fiction awards and her earlier novel, Firefly Lane, is currently a bestselling series on Netflix. Kristin is a lawyer-turned-writer and is the mother of one son. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle.

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    Reviews for Firefly Lane

    4/5

    1,160 ratings210 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I’ve just finished reading this book and I’m already expecting myself to read it again. It’s not like it’s something huge or whatever; I found it nice and worth reading but nothing less, nothing more. The thing is that I was caught by the story which was so well-written about a subject I fancy by all its means: Friendship.Usually, when it comes to friendship stories, I often find some “cliché” material: otherwise, it’s the friend-wounded-by-the-other-forever, or the-always-be-there-friend-whatever-you-do-or-say, or the cheerful-happy-all-pink-friendship..In most of cases, there’s someone wrong and someone right. Firefly Girls don’t have an ear for these heretics: I’d say it’s a realistic relationship but I’ll avoid this word (actually, I noticed people using “realistic” to justify their unsecure behaviour. Besides, it’s more realistic than the cliché, but it’s still not a friendship you may encounter at everyday-life with everyday-people..).To make my point of view clear, I shall put it in these words: the main characters – Kate and Tully- aren’t perfect at all and you can easily notice it while reading. Their pschycological background is detailed, the way they behave holds with their personalities. They’re not good or bad. The writer doesn’t seek a perfect-smth. Their relationship endeavours many challenges..Many things that may make you feel close to these characters and understand the way friendship is preservered or muddling through matters and time.Another thing about the book I like is the fact that I got to discover the U.S.A. average life from 1970-2000, well, at least be more familiar with it (I can’t rely on the TV Shows completely you know u_u). That’s why I won’t say I found the teenager type too shallow and brainless, the adults not very farewell thinking and the reactions a little bit childish. Maybe because I didn’t live that way, I’d never quietly understand it…Maybe I’m asking for very complicated stuff and maybe it’s the way it goes. Anyway! The thing is that I got to look over some ways people lead life in there and I really enjoyed this (reminds me of penpalling ^^).This book is fine, really people, maybe you’d take a look at it if you’re feeling bored: it may not be great but it gets you hooked ’til the end. So enjoy!
    • 5/5
      Firefly Lane captured me! I loved the story, I loved the format, I loved the style, but mainly I loved the characters. I believe that some of my connection with Kate, Tully, Mrs. M, and sometimes even Marah is because the story is set in my time period. The songs, fads, and news used in the book were details that were a vital part of my life. A second reason is that I have been each one of these women at some point in my life, I have faced the same barriers and enjoyed the same challenges.The story-line chronicles the lives of two unlikely friends. Their love for each other overpowers their shortcomings I see a strong message about the importance of saying, "I'm Sorry".
    • 3/5
      I have mixed feelings about Firefly Lane. Reading about Tully and Kate’s escapades was almost painful but I couldn’t stop. I had to know what was going to happen next in this dysfunctional friendship. Reading about the teen years was entertaining. Kate was sweet and Tully was understandably troubled. Once they reached adulthood I didn’t like either of them much anymore. All of Kate’s self loathing really tried my patience. I found it forgivable when she was in high school and even in college but after graduation it needed to stop. Of course it didn’t. It continued on and on and on and on…you get the point. As for Tully I could not stand her. I’d hardly consider her a good friend to Kate. If I’d been Kate I would have kicked Tully’s ass to the curb years ago. I seriously hope this fictional friendship is not typical for most “forever friends”. If so I think I’d rather be alone. I’m giving this book 3 stars because it kept me reading even after it pissed me off. It could have been a 5 star read if the characters would have evolved from their selfish (Tully) and pathetic (Kate) natures.
    • 5/5
      The story is touching and so does the author's writing style. A book that will stay with me.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book! Definitely a tear jerker, which I enjoy every so often. Great character development! Kristin Hannah is such a wonderful author.
    • 5/5
      WOW! I could not put this down. It was an emotional rollercoaster ride and I loved it.While I certainly wouldn't believe the total perfection that was Kate and Tully's lives existed outside of fiction, you can't help but realize that you and your friends have lived on your own Firefly Lane and that there is a little TullyandKate in all of us.
    • 3/5
      This is the story of a friendship between two strong women, Tully and Kate, that survives the upswings and the downtrends for thirty years. Beginning when they're fourteen, the story follows Tully and Kate through high school and into college, then on as Tully persues her career and Kate puts her family first. Though at times I felt the writing was forced and unrealistic, the ups and downs of Tully and Kate's friendship were real. People arent' perfect, and neither are friendships. I appreciated all they went through together, and I enjoyed getting to know them. Poor Kate gets the bitter end of the spoon and I felt so badly for her, especially because Tully could be so selfish. But isn't that the truth? Thinking of yourself for so long and getting what you want, even when it's through hard work, make people that way. Anyway, I enjoyed it.
    • 4/5
      Engrossing story of friendship and the relationships between mothers and daughters. A good read.
    • 4/5
      This is a very emotional story that follows two girls over a 30 year friendship. I agree with a previous reviewer that this story reminded me of the movie "Beaches". It reminds us of the importance of friendship, and how those good friends truly become family. A great, easy read, just keep the tissue handy.
    • 4/5
      Firefly Lane, Kristin Hannah's latest book, is the story about unlikely friends Kate and Tully and the lifetime of friendship that they created for themselves; the type of friendship that everyone should have, a friend who is more family than friend. To be honest, the book is rather predictable and reads much like a Lifetime movie, and there are several punctuation and spelling errors (although these may be attributed to being an Advance Readers' Edition), but these problems aside, the book is really enjoyable. Even though I knew what was coming through most of the book, I found myself really caring about the characters. The last two chapters brought the entire story together. Kristin Hannah really understood her characters and their emotions, and portrayed them perfectly.All errors aside, Firefly Lane is a really good book that could have benefited from some tighter editing. I found myself wanting to skip over sections of the book simply due to the extent of detail that was placed in to make sure the reader knew what decade the story was taking place in. I feel that more emphasis could have been placed on when the girls were younger and when they were living on Firefly Lane; where they cemented their friendship. This particular time in their lives, which the book refers back to frequently, was only briefly touched on. It seems that for such an important time in their lives, this time period would have been more deeply developed. But even with these few flaws, after finishing the book, I found that I had really enjoyed it.
    • 3/5
      Pretty typical “chic lit” read. I enjoyed it, but it’s basically Kristin Hannah re-writes “Beaches.” A fun vacation read though, and if you can’t get enough of “Beaches” or of Hallmark channel friendship movies, this is for you. I listened on audio CD, and it’s well-suited to the format.
    • 3/5
      Firefly Lane is an addictive read. I came back for more everyday. Before I started reading it, I never thought I would have been able to get through with it. It just isn't my type of book. About halfway through the book, I started disliking it. It didn't feel believable anymore. It was very cliche. Nothing in the book stands out, and I doubt I will ever reread it.
    • 5/5
      From page one of this book, I devoured it. The story of KateandTully and their journey through lives, through getting what they want or what they think they want is a beautiful and torrid one. It catalogs the joys and trials of friendship, of love, of ambition and does so in a way that is both joyful and heartbreaking. I am admittedly a fan of this type of novel, but it has been a long time since a book has made me cry so fervently over the situations presented. I can easily count Firefly Lane among my favorite novels.
    • 3/5
      I liked the fact that this book was about women my age, who listened to the same music, and had some of the same experiences. That helped me get over the feeling that I was reading 'Beaches'. And the interplay between the two main characters is interesting, I kept on turning the pages to find out what happened next. I obviously identified with the characters, I became quite emotionally involved. I especially liked the relationship between Kate and Marah.I felt let down y the ending, I have read it many times before, and while it successfully gabbed my emotions, I felt a bit manipulated. Overall, this was an enjoyable escapist read, but it hasn't shown me anything new.(spoiler)That missed voice message device was a real cop out of a plot device.
    • 4/5
      Firefly Lane was the breakout novel for Kristin Hannah. It was the first novel she wrote in an all-female point of view, and the book she says where she found her voice.It's 1974 and Kate Mularkey lives with her family in a Seattle suburb. She is not a popular eighth-grader, wears all the wrong things, gets picked on in school. All that changes when cool girl Tully moves in across the street with her hippie, drug-addicted mother.Tully is basically raising herself, trying to care for her mom and run a house on her own. She hides her mother from everyone, telling Kate her mom has cancer. Tully lives on the wild side, and one night things go too far and it is Kate who is there to help her cope.They become inseparable best friends forever, and everyone refers to them as one word-TullyandKate. Kate's mom finds out about Tully's mother's drug issues, and opens her home to Tully. She gives Tully the confidence to believe that she can have a bright future as a journalist, and Kate reluctantly is dragged into this plan.The girls go to college together, and while Tully is dogged in her pursuit of her dream, Kate dates and looks to balance school with a dating life. Tully lands a job with a small local television station and gets Kate a job there as well. Kate falls in love with Johnny, the boss, who only has eyes for the gorgeous, vibrant Tully.We follow Tully as she climbs the career ladder and Kate as she marries and raises her children. Their paths diverge, but they remain best friends, even though they have less in common.Tully becomes a media superstar, but she thinks of Kate's family as her own. She dates, but she is lonely. Kate is a great mom, but as her daughter Marah becomes a teenager, Marah rebels and puts Tully in the middle.Marah's rebelliousness leads to Tully making a big mistake and hurting Kate, destroying their friendship in the process. After years of estrangement, can Kate and Tully come together when they need it most?I was about the same age as Tully and Kate were in 1974, and so all of the references are a touchstone for me. The songs (Billy, Don't Be a Hero is now permanently stuck in my head), the TV shows (Luke and Laura's wedding on General Hospital), Tiger Beat magazine, the clothes and hairstyles- it all came rushing back to me as I read it. Any woman aged 45-50 or so will be transported back to her teen years reading this.The characters are interesting, and I especially loved Kate's mom, whom I suspect is based on Hannah's mother. She took in Tully and loved her, even when Tully did things that I found almost unforgivable, Kate's mom was there for Tully too.Besides the theme of friendship, we see how women dealt with issues of work versus family life and what that means to their identity. The difficulties of parenting teenagers will hit home with any parent, but I am curious to see how women who chose to have a demanding career view the character of Tully. Hannah writes a novel that has an ending that will emotionally devastate the reader, just like she did in Home Front. I don't know of any writer today who can make me cry as much as she does in her books. If you enjoy reading books that pack an emotional punch, Firefly Lane is a must-read.
    • 3/5
      Firefly Lane follows the lives of two friends from pre-teen to adult years. One friend is obsessed with fame and fortune. The other has more pedestrian dreams. These differences sometimes lead to conflicts in this overly long tale.
    • 2/5
      Very predictable! Skipped a few chapters to get to the end quicker. I didn't enjoy this book.
    • 3/5
      This novel deals with the choices women make between pursuing career or family, often without knowing the stakes. The message of the novel is that you can have it all - go ahead and pursue that career, then inherit your friend's family from her when she dies tragically and far too young of cancer, leaving you with explicit instructions to take care of her family, including her still-hot husband. Okay, I know that's not what Hannah meant, and I will acknowledge that she made an effort to present a nuanced view of what truly is an impossible dichotomy - work or family - as well as an honest portrayal of the ravages of cancer, but the melodrama of this novel overshadowed any positive characteristics for me. I kept reading, but the more I read the more I rolled my eyes.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful Book! I would recomend it to anyone - and have! I loved the great meanings this book entailed. The friendship of the two main characters makes a reader reflect on their own friendships in life. A must read for anyone dealing with friendship issues, or tribulations in their own life. I would recomend it to anyone!
    • 5/5
      Damn this book for making me cry the ugly cry! I had this book sitting on my shelf for a couple of years and never picked it up until a friend said I really needed to read it. And now I have no clue why I waited so long! It was really good! It's a story about the friendship between two women that stood together through the good and the bad over the span of their lives. Heartbreaking and wonderful! Will definitely be checking others by Kristin Hannah.
    • 3/5
      I have to say I enjoyed this book despite myself. I couldn't put it down even though it read just like a Lifetime made for TV movie. The story itself is one that has been told many, many times and I guess that is what makes this book good and bad. It is a classic kind of story, but very little new life has been brought to it. It is the story of best friends and the progression of their friendship as they grow, mature, go their own ways in the world and as they fall apart. You do come to know the characters quite well and the story is not always predictable. The male characters are unsurprisingly one-dimensional and all the women are strong and talented in their own way. And at the end, I found myself welling up with tears as my heartstrings were tugged. Overall, I would say this is a perfect vacation read. It sucks you in, but doesn't make you think too hard.
    • 4/5
      Kate and Tully were as completely different as two women could be.Kate grew up in a loving, traditional family. Tully grew up with an unnamed father and a drug addicted hippie mother who repeatedly abandoned her daughter. Nevertheless Kate and Tully became best friends in junior high in the 70’s and their friendship continued throughout their college years and into their adult lives.They chose very different paths as adults. One became a stay-at-home mother married to a man she loved passionately. The other became a high profile celebrity, investing her energy in forwarding her career and superficial male relationships. At times, both women felt that that the other had made better life choices. Nevertheless, they continued as true best friends--loving, soul-mate friends who backed each other in rough times and cheered each other’s accomplishments.Then at a critical point in Kate’s life, Tully acted in a way that left both Kate and Tully feeling betrayed and the friendship ended. But when life threatening illness occurred, the two reached once more across the chasm and into each others souls. I found this novel enjoyable and highly emotional, but of somewhat limitted depth. I felt that Kate and Tully had black-and-white, all good/all bad, somewhat stereotypical portrayals of both their childhoods and the adults they became. This made them seem fairly one-dimensional and not the complex mixture we all are. Still, I did care about them as characters; I related to their girlfriend bond and I cried buckets as the novel came to its close. I enjoyed the details from the 1970’s and subsequent decades in the form of songs, fashions, and popular brand names that the author wove into the story as time passed. I was also in high school in the 70’s in a similar small town in the Northwest. Unfortunately, some of the slang and fashions from the 70’s seemed a bit off to me, though, and were definitely different than my own experience.I appreciated the details and warning signs about the rare form of breast cancer that has none of the typical symptoms. I’m sure lives will be saved because of it. However, I was skeptical about the timeline of the cancer involved. Ten months elapsed between identifying that the cancer had traveled to the brain and the character’s death. This seems unreasonably long to me—but it did give time for the numerous emotionally charged events that made this the heartrending novel it is.
    • 5/5
      When fourteen year old Kate first saw her new neighbor Tully at the bus stop, little did she know this would be the beginning of a life long friendship. Two young girls on the cusp of womanhood, seemingly opposites on the outside, have a lot in common on the inside. Set in the Pacific northwest during the turbulent 70’s Tully and Kate’s burgeoning friendship sets the tone of the book. They will be best friends forever they assure each other. Even through the most trying of times, they are there for each other. Granted, there are bumps along the way, even a betrayal of trust and a little heartache, but whose life journey does not include such hurdles? This is also a wonderful story of mothers and daughters fraught with the joy and angst of their intricate relationships. A story line that explores life’s hopes and dreams, some shattered, some realized, develops over a span of 30 plus years as Tully and Kate find out who they are and what is really important in life.This is a book I found hard to put down. The story line is excellently written as Hannah brings an emotional depth to the characters that is extremely compelling. The characters are so well developed and plausible, you can’t help being engaged with them throughout the entire book. Along with Kate and Tully, the peripheral characters greatly enhance the story line,particularly the two girls' mothers. The time frame is described perfectly with all the accoutrements of the day: the music, the dress, the social attitudes. It was like reliving it all over again. All these elements together make for a magical tale, one that will deeply resonate with the reader for a long time. I just loved it! 5*A sincere thank you to Reading Group Gold/St. Martin’s Press for the book and the opportunity to participate in this wonderful program
    • 5/5
      My friend, Tammy recommended this book to me and I recommended it to my book club who read it this month. It was very easy to settle in to this book and be taken back to the days of my own childhood. I loved how the author brought in songs to the story as she took you through each decade. Songs can definately take you back to a time and place as soon as you hear it. Certain songs remind me of summer laying in the pool, high school dances, and as a child hanging out at my older sister's house listening to her records. So many spots in the book required a box of kleenex close by. The author included many twists and surprises throughout the way. I loved how the story flowed and traveled through each decade. I was sad when the story was done because I knew I would miss Tully and Kate and their friendship. Some of my favorite parts of the book were:"It was funny how a single garment could remind you of years together - slumber parties and makeovers and breakfasts spent watching Saturday morning cartoons.""Soon, Tully had Kate laughing. That was the thing about best friends. Like sisters and mothers, they could piss you off and make you cry and break your heart, but in the end, when the chips were down, they were there, making you laugh even in your darkest hours.""To the world at large, perhaps this was an ordinary moment in an ordinary day, but to Kate it was extraordinary. This was the reason she'd chosen to stay home instead of work. She judged the meaning of her life in nanoseconds, perhaps, but she wouldn't trade this instant for anything."A wonderful story of family and friendship.
    • 4/5
      I really liked this book... it was a perfect pairing with some cigarettes and a warm summer night.

      And yes, it's sappy and cliched and will probably end up being made into a Lifetime or Oxygen movie, but when the mood strikes, I'm not above watching those either.



    • 5/5
      This review refers to the unabridged audio version.I recently had a work trip which included an 8 hour drive one way. I wanted a book that would last me for the entire trip. This one looked good and fit my time requirement. I don't read or listen to women's fiction very often. I have nothing against it, and usually enjoy it, but it's not the genre I reach for first. That being said, I loved this book. This is an epic book and Hannah finds just the right balance of details and keeping time moving smoothly along. You really get to know the characters, and the passage of so much time allows them the chance to grow and change so much more than in most books.The narrator did a wonderful job too. She was able to capture all the emotion without over doing it. You really got to know all the characters, and I found myself laughing out loud more than once.This is not just a happy book or a sad book, but really encompasses the wide range of emotions that all of us experience in our daily lives. Through all the ups and downs friendship and love endure.
    • 3/5
      Basically this is a book about friendship, and its ups and downs through the decades. It's a quick and easy read, and at times painfully relatable. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys chick flicks and VH1's "I Love the 70's/80s/90s, etc.) It was rather heavily cliched, though, and borrows heavily from Beaches, Terms of Endearment, and the Lifetime channels. The painful death of a main character is drawn out to the point of frustration (I almost screamed out, "Die already!"). Still, there are nice life lessons thrown in there, mostly along the lines of keeping your loved ones close, and love survives everything. There were also a number of typos, but I imagine this will be corrected in time for its general release.Would I pick this book if it weren't an Early Reviewer book? Probably not, but I wouldn't talk someone out of it if it's their thing. There is an excellent breast cancer awareness message at the end of the story, so I give the author credit for that above everything.
    • 4/5
      Kristin Hannah's "Firefly Lane" begins in 1974, when two fourteen year old girls meet because of chance. Tully, a beautiful, outgoing girl, has moved to a small town outside of Seattle to try to reconcile with her estranged mother. Kate, an awkward girl who has lived in the town her whole life, is struggling to find herself in the middle school hierarchy. After a night of tragedy, Tully and Kate are thrown together and become fast friends. Through high school and college they are inseparable. After school, their lives start to take different shapes, as Tully becomes a successful newscaster and Kate marries and starts a family. Eventually, the difference in their lives comes between them--but when tragedy strikes again, will they be able to call on their shared pasts to build a future together. I really enjoyed "Firefly Lane"--it's a coming of age and best friends story all wrapped into one--and it does it all without feeling forced or fake. Hannah does a great job of capturing the lives of these two very different women, including the challenges and emotions that fill their lives. By the end of the novel, you feel like these women are your friends too and you feel their struggles. The end of the book is very emotional--have your tissues at the ready--but the book leaves you feeling happy to have met these women and shared in their life journey. This was the first book I read by Kristin Hannah, but I think I will be seeking out more, because I enjoyed her style and the way she connects the reader to her characters. I would recommend this book to any woman looking for a great book about ordinary women.
    • 4/5
      Firefly Lane is the story of a friendship. Tallulah "Tully" Hart and Kate Mularkey meet when Tully's mom moves them into a house across the road from the Mularkey's farm. Tully has already been through a traumatic series of events in her relatively young life, events that Kate could not even imagine, so they are truly an unlikely pairing. It is yet another traumatic event that really seals the beginnings of their friendship, a friendship that lasts through all the decades that serve as the timeline of this touching story.I began this book having read two other books by Kristin Hannah and still not sure that Firefly Lane would be "my kind of book". I had this idea that Hannah's writing tended to be more of the romance type and even though some of that comes through at times, I really liked this book. One reason is that I related to the decades in which Kate and Tully grew and matured. I also went to high school in the 70's, college in the 80's, etc. So the cultural and pop references reverberated well for me. Another reason, and perhaps the more important one, is that the story of these two girls becoming women really caught and kept my attention and my heart. I really began to care about what happened to them. A good story does that to you. As I neared the 3/4 mark I was pretty sure of what was going to happen but I still wanted to continue reading. I do wish that there had been a little less of that formulaity in the book, but we all need a good cry every once in a while. Be sure to have some Kleenex on hand for the ending. It's a good cleansing cry, though.
    • 3/5
      Well, this was actually disappointing. It started off really well. It had a similar feeling to Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, which I quite liked. But after a few hundred pages, I felt like I was re-reading, over and over again, the same passages, the same stories, at times even the same words. In addition to its repetitive nature in the story and sentences, the foreshadowing became so transparent and unsettling that I found myself, for the first time EVER, flipping to a later point in the book in frustration and disgust. The book isn't bad. At all. I just didn't feel like it was really ready for publication. In addition to several typos and grammatical errors, the book needs more finessing and could probably lose 200 or so pages (with a tightening up of the story and rewriting several areas). Although untrue, it felt as though the author started out tracking two lives over a few decades, but then felt like she had to throw in some real drama to make sure it was, I don't know, exciting enough? But the result was a weakening of the original structure with a climax that fell far short of being climactic. It was also hard for me to believe the sincerity and steadfastness of a friendship that was *defined* but not *portrayed*. It was never quite convincing that either of the girls actually *cared* for the other and weren't, instead, merely acting out of jealousy or obligation.In the end, I was surprised at how quickly my impression of the book changed... at 250 pages, I still felt it was quite good and I was planning out who I would recommend it to first... at 330 pages, I found myself turning pages with a scowl on my face. Even so, I still tore through the pages. I can't give this book a horrible rating because it simply wasn't horrible. But it was a bit too simplistic to have left any lasting impression.On the plus side (there are plus sides!), the book was very easy to read, fun (most of the time), and informative. The information and facts on the political landscape through the decades, while sometimes forced and awkward, were also interesting and placed the reader fairly quickly into that decade's mindset. I was also impressed with the author's ability to write from the perspective of the girls in each decade relatively convincingly... Her portrayal of teens in the 70s was equally convincing as her portrayal of young ladies in their mid 20s in the 80s.Overall, an average rating for an average book.NOTE: This review is based on an ARC.