Fly away

“Fly Away” by Kristen Hannah is a moving and sensitive story about the strength of lifetime friendships and love. Tully and Kate’s story continue from the previous book “Firefly Lane.” Through marriages, children, trauma, success and grief, the bonds of love long cherished, carry this

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story of life through the celebrations and trials that life experiences bring. Many times I felt tears rise in my eyes as experiences described struck a deep chord within my own thoughts. Hannah has a way of drawing the reader into the lives of those she describes and allows a bond of caring for the characters to develop. Marah is well developed in this story and watching her grow and mature as the story progresses is one of the key elements in this story. This is not my first Kristen Hanna book and I continue to enjoy her witting and look forward to reading more of her novels. I recommend this book and give it a 4 rating.

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To begin with, I received this book free via a giveaway from GoodReads. Despite that my opinions are unsullied by prejudice. Further, I have not read the book (or books) that precede this one so I'm viewing this title in isolation from others by this author.

Our story begins with an ending. Or, as

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they tend to put it in Hollywood, it begins as our protagonist hits rock bottom. Her life and career are in a shambles and her last chance at fixing any of it seems to have slipped away. When her car slams into a bridge abutment, we start to think that her life really is literally and officially at an end. From there, the story unwinds backwards and reveals to us exactly what brought our anti-heroine to her current plight.

Early on, after getting a feel for the book but not yet knowing exactly where it was going or how it was planning to get there, I formed an idea that I thought would be the "perfect way" to tell this story. Happily, the book proceeded to execute flawlessly on exactly that notion. So not only did the book not disappoint, it seemed to read my mind.

Like many in the world today, Hannah's characters are plagued with real problems that have their roots decades in the past. I have little doubt that you personally know someone like every single character in this book. The difference in this novel is the way in which it intricately weaves all those stories together linking abuser to abused and cause to effect. Here we have illustrated for us not only some of the horrors that many people live with every day but the answer to the sorrowfully articulated question of "why?" that springs to mind when we see our fellow humans in dire straits.

In summary, "Fly Away" is a unique and multi-faceted panorama of grief and regret from their underlying causes to their consequences and their ultimate resolutions. Seldom is an aspect of humanity suffering brought to light with such skill and emotion.

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I absolutely, positively cannot say enough about this book!! Obviously, it is most definitely a 5* & if I could give it a higher rating I absolutely, positively would!! An emotional, stimulating story that is not only well written but beautifully told.

FIREFLY LANE residents are back in FLY AWAY by Kristin Hannah in this moving story of grief, coming together, forgiveness, and love. Kate has passed away leaving her husband Johnny and their children Marah, Lucas, and Willis, and her best friend Tully to learn to live without her.
Tully promised to

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take care of Kate's family, especially Marah, and failed miserably. Marah who missed her mom terribly and was having a difficult time with her grief; felt as though she was left on the outside looking in and set off on her own. Her life was a mess and only got worse when she met Pax and got tangled up in his wayward lifestyle. Johnny was trying to do the right thing, but his grief blinded him to what was going on around him and even when he recognized it, he was unable to engage effectively. The twins Willis and Lucas coped fairly well. They were able to laugh and play even in the midst of the toughest time of a child's life -- the loss of a parent. Tully spiraled downward into addiction, unable to handle the loss of Kate, until a life changing incident brought her to face her addictions and shortcomings.
Dorothy Hart, who was known as Cloud in FIREFLY LANE, overcame the ghosts of her past and her dependence on drugs and alcohol. Dorothy, Tully's mother, spent Tully's childhood running from the responsibility of raising her daughter, while sleeping with any man who would have her and sinking deeper into her dependencies. Cloud goes into rehab and becomes the mother Tully had always wanted.
If you are looking for a light read, this isn’t it. It deals with some of life’s toughest issues – death, depression, addiction, and grief, among others, but shows that even when a person’s life is at its lowest, there is always hope.
To find out how these characters were redeemed and what it took for them to forgive and move forward, you will have to read FLY AWAY, a book I highly recommend.

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Fly Away
by
Kristin Hannah

My " in a nutshell" summary...

KateandTully...sadly come to their ending and everything precious and dear comes to an end.

My thoughts after reading this book...

I know I read the book that came before this one but it's been a while. It was not an issue to pick this one up and

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start reading. I fell into the story and it's sadness almost right away. And there is no doubt about just how sad it is. Kate is gone and literally everyone falls apart. The things that the people who loved her try...just don't seem to work and lead everyone to some truly bad bad bad choices. Kate's BFF Tully...Kate's husband Johnny, Kate's daughter Marah...all pretty much on a road to disaster.

But...what I loved about this book...

It was totally easy to get involved in this craziness and still yearn for the best for everyone. The book was a series of flashbacks...lots of thens and nows...that provided me with insight into these truly dysfunctional characters.

Final thoughts...

I found this book to be a thoughtful reading experience...one that made me think about how I would handle the death of my mom at the age that Marah was...her feelings for her mom were so disastrous for her. It was difficult to watch her fail but sometimes there is no other way...

Reading this book left me with bittersweet thoughts of life...and sad thoughts about death!

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I was a big fan of Firefly Lane so when I saw it had a sequel I was excited to reconnect with the characters and see how they were managing without Kate in their lives. Many of the reviewers thought this book was too depressing and didn't enjoy it as much as the previous book but I thought this was

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an incredible sequel. I agree that the first 300 pages were tragic and heart wrenching but the perfectly depicted a family in crisis after the death of a loved one. I didn't think things would go so terribly wrong after Kate's death but it makes sense since she was such a guiding force in everyone's life. The emotions within these pages are raw and uncensored and Kristin Hannah does an excellent job of realistically portraying a family struggle to right itself in the face of unimaginable heartaches, tragedies and betrayals. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm hoping that maybe there will be a follow up volume detailing the lives of the Ryans and the Harts 10 years from now. 4 stars

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I have read several books by Kristin Hannah and was very excited to begin this novel, but overall I was disappointed. There are good things about this novel - the overall story line is good (sequel to Firefly Lane), writing is good and descriptive, but I agree with several others readers, it was

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very depressing. Also I had a hard time always following who was speaking and was it present day or a flashback. Not a best seller.

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TullyandKate together again in one way. Tullah Hart is having such a hard time dealing with her friend Kate's death in this follow up to Firefly Lane. Tully can't seem to get anything right in her life. She took time off to be with Kate during her death and now she wants to try again with her show

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and they have replaced her show with others and have taken her off air because she just left. Tully tries to do right by Kate's daughter Marah and tries to be there for Johnny and the boys but it just isn't working out. She takes to many pills and has gained weight and cannot seem to get on the right track. Then there is her mother Dorothy "Cloud" Hart who has never really been there for Tully, but in a sense Tully has never given up hope of her mother being there and them having a relationship. It takes a tragedy to bring everyone together again. A must read..

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Well first of all, if you have already read Firefly Lane you must read this book to follow up and let the characters live on with you. If you haven't read Firefly Lane, please go get it, read it, fall in love with it, and then read this (Fly Away). Kristin Hannah knows how to grasp the reader and

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not let go. You are guaranteed to fall in love with her complex characters and have strong emotions as they grow and change. Fly Away literally took me away and it doesn't just fee like another book I read, but rather like I was friends with these people, really knew them, and would love to see them again. Happy reading!

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did not realize that Fly Away is actually the second book in the Tully and Kate saga. I did not read the first book, Firefly Lane. However, it was no problem understanding what was going on and with a few pages, I was totally hooked into the storyline.
Kate and Tully have been best friends since

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childhood. They had one falling out where they did not talk for two years. The story begins after the death of Kate due to cancer. Kate left behind a husband, two sons and a now troubled daughter, Marah. Also left behind is her best friend Tully who is also spiraling out of control. Her once successful and lucrative journalism/tv career is over and she does not know how to carry one with our Kate. Meanwhile, Marah is also into drugs and has since run away from home. I kept thinking that the story was dark and very troubled, but as I kept reading, I was wondering how this family would ever be able to fix itself and make it. It was definitely a tear-jerker, but an amazing story of characters each finding their way after the death of a loved one. Definitely recommend this one!
I received a copy through the Goodreads Firstreads program.

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SOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU PLAN ON READING FIREFLY LANE!

Readers who were devastated by the ending to Kristin Hannah's novel Firefly Lane had better buckle their seat belts for the beginning of her long awaited sequel, Fly Away. We watch the family of Kate grieve horribly for her

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and then fast forward to four years later when another tragedy befalls them.

Johnny didn't know how to go on without the love of his life Kate, and after her funeral he packs up his family for a week in Hawaii. His seven-year-old twin boys are distracted by the trip, but sixteen year-old Marah needs her friends to help her get through her grief, something her father doesn't understand.

Marah is taking her mother's death very hard, mostly because they had a rocky relationship during Marah's teen years. She feels so guilty that they wasted valuable fighting when they didn't know how little time they had left.

Johnny doesn't know how to reach his daughter and as she slips farther away, it seems that everything he does is wrong, including moving them all to Los Angeles for a fresh start. He needs to move away from the memories, neglecting to understand that Marah needs to cling to them.

Meanwhile Tully, who walked away from her successful Oprah-like talk show to care for Kate during her last months, has lost her career. She promised to be there for Kate's family, but she has no experience and her efforts end in disaster.

With no job, no boyfriend and Kate's family estranged from her, Tully spirals out of control. She drinks, she takes too many prescription pills and she can't seem to pull herself out. All Tully wants is to matter to someone, and after being rejected many times over by her mother Cloud, she feels bereft.

Tully doesn't know that her mother, now using her given name Dorothy, has changed her life. She hit rock bottom, and is now living a simple life in their old home on Firefly Lane. Does she have the strength to be there for her daughter when she needs her most, after all the years of neglect?

Marah meanwhile has become involved with troubled young man she met in a grief group therapy. She lives in a crummy apartment with several hangers-on, working a dead-end job and has no contact with her family.

Hannah weaves Marah's, Tully's and Dorothy's stories together with a deft touch. The tragic event that brings them together upends their lives and forces each of them to dig deep inside themselves to discover who they really are.

I read Fly Away immediately after reading the prequel Firefly Lane, and that was a good decision. I became so invested in these wonderful characters and wanted to yell at them when they did something stupid or selfish and hug them when they needed it. I tore through both books and cried endlessly. Hannah can really push the emotion button on me.

To all those who waited years for this sequel, I believe they will feel that the wait was worth it. Revisiting these unforgettable characters was a trip worth taking.

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Fly Away by Kristin Hannah
Maura's best friend is dead. They used to hang out as a group but now the others push her aside as she tries to clean out the clothes and other items.
The story goes back in time to when she suffered through cancer and chemo til even the earlier years of their life's.
Some

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chapters are from the present and they are so hard to read, the things she is forced to go through.
She loves one man but he will never be with her. She gave up her journalism job to help care for Katie and he has nothing good to say about Maura.
She has a few friends she can call on still...So many others blame themselves, thinking they caused her to die.
Just a handful of characters to follow, the plot is a bit scattered at times as the story goes continually from the past to the present with the different characters.
Touching ending, I didn't see that coming.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

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First off, let me just say Thank You to Goodreads and Kristin Hannah for the giveaway and this amazing, advance reader’s edition! This book is the second book of the series, but I was able to jump right in and start the journey, and boy, was it a journey!
I could hardly put down the book, every

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page I wanted more. It has brought me to tears, which that could be a part of pregnancy hormones, but hey, that just tells you it is good!
Kristin Hannah did an amazing job transferring from different viewpoints: from going to present, back to the past, then how it all comes together. Her writing paints a beautiful picture of what you are reading, and you can see the story unfold beneath your eyes.
Being able to connect to the love that Tully has Marah is remarkable, Tully is not only Marah’s Godmother, but also her best friend. All relationships come with difficulties and you can relate, because not only we have all dealt with relationships, but I am sure we have all dealt with death at some point too. I love the fact that each character is developed, and the emotions of each one is different, but they all come together to make a beautiful book! We have all had to figure out ways to fight our own struggles, and this book proves that. Learn how Tully and Marah come to grips with their struggles, and see if you could be in their shoes. I know I was turning pages, pulling for Tully and hoping would work out in the best way possible.
You will start to understand the side of Dorothy, Tully’s Mother, the reasons of why she was never the mother she should have been, and you take a step into her life as Tully always reminded her that she was needed, regardless of what evil stepped into her way. There is love, understanding, forgiveness, and heartache within the chapters of the book, but I suggest you jump in the middle and start unfolding the secrets yourself.
If you decide to get this book, I would recommend it, even if you have not read the first book Firefly Lane, but I can tell you that by reading Fly Away makes me want to go back and read it!

Marah knew what was expected of her. She was supposed to say, It was great, wonderful, perfect, I feel better now, but she couldn’t do it. She opened her mouth and nothing came out. From pg 150

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This was the follow up to Firefly Lane.

It was ok.....

I am such a fan of Kristin Hannah. She writes stories that resonate for months after you close the book. I fell in love with the book Firefly Lane and was so excited when I heard a sequel was being written. There are so many times when you finish reading a book and you constantly wonder what

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happened to the characters...were they OK, were they coping, were they really trying to find a way in their new set of circumstances.

"Grief is a sneaky thing, always coming and going like some guest you didn't invite and can't turn away. She wants this grief, although she'd never admit it. Lately, it's the only thing that feels real." (Fly Away, Prologue)

Like I said, I was wondering about Tully, Marah, the twins and Johnny. How was the lost of Kate affecting each and every one of them? I was so glad to be back with them in Fly Away. I was glad to be with them, even in their grief. To see what happened to them... to see where their paths lead them. It was frustrating, difficult to read and heartbreaking to see how the void of Kate broke each person in their own way. But to be on the journey and to see where they finally ended up brought many tears, relief and closure!

I recommend that you read Firefly Lane first as it will add so much depth to this lifelong story about friendship, family and the unconditional power of love over loss. 4 stars

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I mainly chose the book Fly Away by Kristin Hannah, because of its cover. With its purplish hue and starry backdrop, it instantly reminded me of nights spent outside at my childhood home…fireflies flitting about and candles illuminating the darkness. Ironic, since the author wrote a book called

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Firefly Lane. Kristin Hannah is not an author who was particularly familiar to me. In fact, I can honestly say that before listening to this book (I have the audio version of it), she was nonexistent in my mind. How I could have gone so long without hearing about her wonderful stories, I shall never know. Because the book Fly Away was truly wonderful.
Tully Hart is still reeling over the death of her best friend Kate Ryan, even though it has been quite a few years. Her career as a television personality has gone down the toilet, her life seems hopeless, and she just doesn’t know how she can live anymore. When a bad decision, and a terrible car accident, critically injures Tully and brings her to Sacred Heart hospital, it might take facing her past to keep her alive.
Many people are called to her bedside. Her best friend Kate’s husband Johnny, who has held a grudge against Tully since his wife’s death. Kate’s oldest daughter Marah, a confused and hurt teenager when her mother died, now an adult hiding behind the pain she has felt since that dark day. Tully’s mother, Dorothy, a former drug-addict and alcoholic who has hurt her only daughter more times than she cares to remember. Even Kate, who has watched from the heavenly sidelines all these years since her departure.
The story is beautiful, it is emotional, and it was a stunning novel to listen to. I loved every minute of it, and will definitely have to read more of Kristin Hannah’s books.

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I won a copy of Fly Away in the Goodreads Giveaway and I knew before I started it that it would be the highlight of my reads for the year and I was correct. Thanks Kristin you never disappoint.

It was great to visit the lives of the characters that we fell in love with in Firefly Lane and to find

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out what happened to them "After Kate". In this book we get the back story of Tully and Cloud prior to their lives on Firefly Lane. There is so much that I want to say about this book but don't want to spoil it for those who haven't had the opportunity to read it yet. What I will say is on April 23 don't walk but run to your favorite book store and get your copy!

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I did read the first book long ago. This was good but it did seem to go on and on and on and ON in slow motion. Fortunately, I was listening to the audio and that works beautifully when you're doing something that doesn't require anything but your hands so the length in this case was fine.

I was eager to read this book; Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors!

I'm not sure what happened. I found it so depressing...not just sad but dark, almost overwhelming. With the exception of Margie, I found all the characters to be unlikeable.

This is a sequel to Firefly Lane. I remember

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liking that book. These just weren't the same characters at all. I also felt that the ending was very contrived to give us an "and they lived happily ever after" ending

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Well first of all, if you have already read Firefly Lane you must read this book to follow up and let the characters live on with you. If you haven't read Firefly Lane, please go get it, read it, fall in love with it, and then read this (Fly Away). Kristin Hannah knows how to grasp the reader and

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not let go. You are guaranteed to fall in love with her complex characters and have strong emotions as they grow and change. Fly Away literally took me away and it doesn't just fee like another book I read, but rather like I was friends with these people, really knew them, and would love to see them again. Happy reading!

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A continuation of her previous novel, Firefly Lane. This novel focuses more on Tully and her realtionship with her mother. Also Kate's daughter Marah is a main character. I enjoyed the book but found the sequencing a bit hard to follow but that was mainly due to having a toddler and only being able

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to read for a few minutes at a time.

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From my blog

Firefly Lane is one of my favourite's by Kristin Hannah. I thought this one was a let down to the fans and I hope new readers to her do not choose this one first or it may be there last. My main complaint, far to repetitive, I understand memories assist those grieving but this was

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torture for us who have read Firefly Lane, plus very depressing. Going from present to past was executed perfectly which shows how great an author she is but I don't think fans of Firefly Lane will feel the same as those that read this one first. Many will not enjoy also because it is dark and gloomy right to the end, good comes out of it all but no one wants to read 400 pages of gloom. I also enjoy dark emotional books but this just didn't do it for me.

I still enjoy the way Kristin H draws out her characters and I was happy to continue their journey but it did become easy not to pick up, a possible DNF lister. I continued on because I love Kristin Hannah and I will continue with her books but this one, I can't recommend. I am interested in why she even decided to bring these characters back now.

Every character grieved differently which is real life and I appreciated this delivery, the children, husband, parents and best friend. The added bonus is that we only know Tully's mom is a dead beat but we get to meet her in Fly Away where she transitions from nickname Cloud to Dorothy. It also told the story of when you can prepare you do your best but it is never good enough because you are not the griever, such a shame really because Kate would not want her loved one's going through what they did.

I highly recommend Firefly Lane, a great friendship book. I read it before blogging, I would still give it a 4 1/2.

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This was a very sad story and I was totally absorbed in all the tragedy, crying at times. However I was disappointed in the lack of romance. Tully's best friend dies and asked Tully to take care of her family.

I love all of Kristin Hannah's books. The prequel to this one was much better I feel, but it was still VERY good!