In the light of the moon a little tear lay on the edge of my cheek. I’m sad that we lost arguably the greatest “picture writer” of all time today. How I love Eric Carle, The Hungry Caterpillar’s inspiration, who claimed that his brain and soul were at their collective peak when he was just six years old. What a precocious child! He’s colored our world and made it so much more vibrant and joyful. Thank you, Mr. Carle. All the starry, starry thank yous go to you today.
In honor of the late great one, let’s talk fireflies, as in Firefly Lane. It’s no secret we’re huge Kristen Hannah fans around here. The Nightingale grabbed our female hearts and opened our sympathetic minds—a story that changed us to be sure. Firefly Lane does surround important topics like the complexity and importance of an enduring friendship, the ability to hurt and to heal, and the cumulative effect of our choices on relationships. But it’s not a novel gamechanger. I appreciated Kate and Tully, girlfriends who are opposites in myriad ways, who also need each other in significant ways. True to life, their friendship displays a breadth and depth of emotions, and reminds me that loneliness can be the link that ultimately binds people together. This wasn’t a supernova. But it is a good read for a sunny day when the beach is calling. Promise us, you’ll go Under The Sea while you’re at it, and think fondly of Mr. Carle.
P.S. Firefly Lane is a Netflix mini-series—it was just renewed for Season 2.