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(audiobook version) I read this at the insistence of a friend. I had a feeling I wouldn’t like it very much; even though she’s a friend we have some very different taste in books. She went on and on and on about how good it was, but it was only so-so for me, as expected. Firefly Lane tells the story of two girls who become best friends at age 14. It follows them for over 30 years, from the 1970s into the 2000s. The book doesn’t break any new ground, really. For instance, did you know that being rich and famous doesn’t guarantee happiness? How about this: Putting your career above all else might ensure that you end up being lonely because you don’t make time in your life for LOVE! Here’s a revelation: Sometimes stay-at-home moms get overwhelmed and depressed. Oh, and I also learned that teenage daughters oftentimes don’t get along with their mothers! The book wasn’t offensive, but it was nothing special.

The blurb says there is a betrayal in the story. At least I didn’t guess what it was; that was one part that wasn’t predictable. It was totally unbelievable, though. I wouldn’t accept in a million years that one of the women does what she does to her best friend in the whole wide world. It did not work for me at all.

At times I felt assaulted by the information the author used to set the time and place. It’s like she had a checklist and had to mention a certain number of phrases, events, clothing styles, etc, from different time periods. Yes, we understand that time is passing. Yes, we get it that now it’s 1974, or 1982, or whatever. Stop hitting me over the head with your historical references. It seemed really forced, awkward, and out of place at times. One part of the story turns into a mini public service announcement. It was kind of jarring. I understand from the author’s notes that a certain cause is important to her, but the preaching seemed kind of out of place.

I wonder if my sister A would like this book, only because the main characters were born the same year she was, and one of them really liked JRR Tolkien as a teen, as did A. I couldn't really recommend it to anyone else.