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Fireflies in December  By  cover art

Fireflies in December

By: Jennifer Erin Valent
Narrated by: Kate Forbes
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Publisher's summary

This award-winning, coming-of-age gem by Jennifer Erin Valent recounts one farm family's struggle against racial bigotry in Depression-era Virginia.

When Jessilyn's parents begin raising her best friend as their own daughter, this kindness toward a dark-skinned orphan triggers threats and violence. While teetering on the brink of womanhood, Jessilyn must learn to be a shining light in a dark world.

©2008 Jennifer Erin Valent (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Winner of the Christian Writers Guild's 2007 Operation First Novel contest, Valent has created a darkly evocative historical novel that boldly explores the divisive effects of unreasoning hatred, greed, and fear on a community already struggling with the economic and racial tensions caused by the Depression and exacerbated by the Ku Klux Klan." ( Booklist)

What listeners say about Fireflies in December

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Audie for Inspirational/Faith based but not

overtly preachy. Reads a bit like "Cold Sassy Tree" or the "Education of Little Tree" and felt more like reading a Newberry teen book rather than an adult novel. There are a couple internal inconsistancies in the book, few rough spots in the dialog and I had to suspend my disbelief a couple of times where the plot and situation felt forced. However, for a first novel this is fantastic. I enjoyed the 1932 Southern setting, coming of age theme and strong family values. Good narration.

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3 people found this helpful

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1932 Virginia The Dark and the Light

Depression era Virginia and families with black farm hands still working on their farms . . . the more things change, the more they stay the same . . . until a fire killed little Gemma's parents, leaving her orphaned . . . and the Lassiter family (the family her folks had worked for) took her in as their own . . . Jessie Lassiter, thirteen years old and Gemma had always been best friends . . . but even Jessie had no idea how taking Gemma in would change things . . . in the south, you never knew who to trust, who was KKK and who wasn't . . . through the bravery and steadfast love of the Lassiter family, one day at a time, Gemma was kept safe . . . Fireflies in December is a story told through the eyes of Jessie, a young girl, turning into a woman, learning to defend herself, her family, her friend and her own beliefs . . . in a time in our history that doing so could have cost her her life . . . the tale is beautifully and courageously told, and is different than many books of this genre . . . it isn't filled with bitterness and anger, but with faith and conviction . . .

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Surprisingly interesting

Where does Fireflies in December rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Probably in the second 20%. There were a few I really loved and this would be right behind those. Definitely would recommend

What did you like best about this story?

The perseverance of the family

Have you listened to any of Kate Forbes’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

this was my first - she was excellent!

If you could take any character from Fireflies in December out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Probably Otis - just wasn't as well developed

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I'll Never Look @ Fireflies The Same

What did you love best about Fireflies in December?

It's truthfulness. That's also what I hated about it!

What other book might you compare Fireflies in December to and why?

The Help perhaps because of the racial story line.

Have you listened to any of Kate Forbes’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I haven't.

If you could take any character from Fireflies in December out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I can't remember her name but the woman who took the two girls into town for lunch. Why, because she is brave.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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The contrast between good and evil.

The story that exposed the hearts of both sides is a good example to follow.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Glad I bought it

Good story great narration. Glad i could listen to it. Would look for author and narrator again.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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I loved this story.

This book kept my interest and attention and I finished it quickly. I look forward to the next two books in the series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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☀️

One of my favorites. I have read this three times over the years. So sweet.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautifully Written

I had the privilege of reading this book many years ago before it was published. I was given a copy of the book on typed pages from a friend of the author. I absolutely fell in love with the book then and fell in love with it again. There are some books that stay with you forever and this is one of them. I would love to see an adaptation for the screen someday. I recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Truth told in a riveting story

The difficult truth of where we've come from, delivered in a riveting story with truths to help us navigate the times ahead.

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