I just finished reading “Firefly Lane,” and today I also completed my vocabulary list, but I haven’t been able to write my thoughts on it yet. My limited life experience might prevent me from fully grasping the emotions conveyed in those stories.

The story portrays a friendship that spans decades, and I’m not sure if I truly resonated with it or felt moved. I’ve seen comments online criticizing Tully’s character as unlikable and expressing sadness over Kate’s character arc. Besides, the story provides a detailed account of Tully and Kate’s different life paths. In the later parts, their contact is often spaced out by months or even years; isn’t that enough for adult friends? But I wonder, can real-life relationships and friendships really be so simple and rational, as an idealistic song?

Some readers mentioned that the depiction of their friendship during high school felt too brief and lacked development. I thought about it, and in a story that spans decades, does the school years really need to be detailed like a Japanese teen manga book?

The only aspect that struck me as odd was the love triangle. Tully and Johnny have a very straightforward relationship at first, while Kate secretly loves Johnny but hesitates to confess due to her close friendship with Tully. Later, Kate marries Johnny, but Tully and Johnny remain close, which Kate accepts. Do we really need to portray their mutual affection like that?

I also have two more books on hand, “Fly Away“, the sequel to “Firefly Lane” and “The Nightingale” by the same author, Kristin Hannah. However, I don’t intend to read them at the moment, as I feel I may need more life experience to fully appreciate them.