How did I miss Kristen Hannah???

Lately we have been having stormy weather and I have discovered a new (to me) writer that I simply love her. More than that, I trust her.  I don't know how I managed to miss her for so long, but I consider it one of the supreme luxuries of my life that I have found a writer I love who has many books yet unknown to me.  No offense, Stephen King, but I left you for your wife years ago and frankly, I've never looked back.  It was just too long a wait, and I never got over the Gunslinger series that started out so great, only to disappoint me after waiting for years.  I mean, honestly, what the hell WAS that????  It was beneath you, and it was certainly beneath me.  I don't regret walking away because I had just stayed too long.  It was just too much for me.  We had a lot of good years together, SK, but I have moved on.  I know you don't care, and that's fine.  You might spend more time with the Rock Bottom's.  You deserve some time off.

Now that I've got that off my chest, back to the fabulous writer.  Her name is Kristin Hannah and if she wrote it, I will pick it up and read it.  I'm still overly loyal but I've learned to look before I leap.

Last week I found myself in a second hand store and picked up Firefly Lane, I would say that it's light reading but it's really not.  Her style is light but her words go very deep.  I have not-been-hurrying-through-it on purpose, and I'm already dreading the end of the story.  So I looked her up trying to copy a picture from her website, but the keypad remains a challenge for me, so I just put the link if you click on

THESE BOOKS.

To my great surprise and joy, Firefly Lane is the only the first part of the story, soon to be continued with Fly Away.  I highly recommend Firefly Lane for young women as this is the story of a deep and abiding friendship that illustrates beautifully the struggle between staying and home and raising children and having a career.  It has been one of the biggest disappointments of my life to see women turn on each other over this issue in my lifetime.  Get us out of the kitchen and what do we do?  Tear each other apart. Greeeeaaat.  I myself am not too proud of that.  I hope anyone who reads this blog is able to see beyond these trifling idiots and realize that life is better when we are all on the same team.  Divided, we fall.  Any "we".  Think about that and have some respect, why don't we?  Have we not all worn various bodily fluids on our clothes?  Is that not a bonding experience????   What is WRONG with us, anyway????  We could at least try it before we have to sign up in order to have a child grown in a lab, which looks like where we are headed to me.

Firefly Lane is the story of two best friends grew up in the 70's and 80's.  They were "liberated" women who chose for themselves, respected each other's choices, and got to about my age and were very disappointed to discover that whatever choices they had made never felt like "enough".  Which begs the question "what is enough, anyway?" and I could go on forever on that.  I think we all could, actually.  The decades they grew up in were that same decades I grew up in, so for me it's not only a soul searching novel but I was there, I remember all the music and what passed for styles.  The 80's were just so bizarre I don't think they would be  easy to understand if you weren't there but she does a great job.  She just sets the scene and you get it, she doesn't waste words trying to explain "why" things were the way they were.  Who could, really?

You will love this writer, I think. I do.  The first book I read by her was called Home Front, about a woman who flew a Black hawk helicopter in the war AND had a family and husband.  Again, you might think it's a light read.  Her books look like light reads, whoever designs her covers does a very good job at selling to people who don't actually read (take no offense, Danielle Steele fans, but you know who you are*no judgement*) but her stories go right to the heart, with your brain fighting all the way.  She spares nothing, leaves no stone un-turned, and I have found each one of her books to be a gift.

It's almost summer.  Get your reading list made, and pick up one of Kristin Hannah's books. You won't regret it.  If you do, I'll bake you a cake. ;D