Fly Away

By: Kristin Hannah

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

Length: 16 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's Summary

The number one New York Times best-selling author returns to the characters in Firefly Lane in her next blockbuster novel, Fly Away. Once, a long time ago, I walked down a night-darkened road called Firefly Lane, all alone, on the worst night of my life, and I found a kindred spirit. That was our beginning. More than 30 years ago. TullyandKate. You and me against the world. Best friends forever. 

But stories end, don't they? You lose the people you love and you have to find a way to go on...Tully Hart has always been larger than life, a woman fueled by big dreams and driven by memories of a painful past. She thinks she can overcome anything until her best friend, Kate Ryan, dies. Tully tries to fulfill her deathbed promise to Kate - to be there for Kate's children - but Tully knows nothing about family or motherhood or taking care of people. Sixteen-year-old Marah Ryan is devastated by her mother's death. Her father, Johnny, strives to hold the family together, but even with his best efforts, Marah becomes unreachable in her grief. Nothing and no one seems to matter to her...until she falls in love with a young man who makes her smile again and leads her into his dangerous, shadowy world. 

Dorothy Hart - the woman who once called herself Cloud - is at the center of Tully's tragic past. She repeatedly abandoned her daughter, Tully, as a child, but now she comes back, drawn to her daughter's side at a time when Tully is most alone. At long last, Dorothy must face her darkest fear: Only by revealing the ugly secrets of her past can she hope to become the mother her daughter needs. 

A single, tragic choice and a middle-of-the-night phone call will bring these women together and set them on a poignant, powerful journey of redemption. Each has lost her way, and they will need each one another - and maybe a miracle - to transform their lives. 

An emotionally complex, heart-wrenching novel about love, motherhood, loss, and new beginnings, Fly Away reminds us that where there is life, there is hope, and where there is love, there is forgiveness. 

Told with her trademark powerful storytelling and illuminating prose, Kristin Hannah reveals why she is one of the most beloved writers of our day. Includes a Reading Group Guide Read by Kristin Hannah 

©2013 Kristin Hannah (P)2013 Macmillan Audio

first one, so much better!

I was very disappointed in this audiobook. I have been doing a lot of driving and the first one made me want to keep driving. This second one was bad. I loved the focus on the main characters in the first one. This one, I really didn't care to hear all about Cloud's story at all. I don't recommend it.

Depressing with a capital D, D, D!

Readers who haven't enjoyed the excellent book of Firefly Lane and learned to love the characters would have great difficulty sloshing through the river of depression of all of the characters in this book. Fly Away is not a stand alone book.

Weird!

While I loved the first book, this sequel is garbage. I found the characters in the first book engaging, but in the sequel they are annoying and unlikeable. It is so weird to me that she put such heart in "Firefly Lane" and yet with "Fly Away", it seems she didn't even try. Don't waste your credit.

Love! You'll want to listen Firefly Lane again!

The story picks up four years from where Firefly Lane ended, with more depth and insight into the characters and the reasons they are who they've become. Tully (and even Kate) are still present but it also branches into those who were minor players in the last novel, so it keeps the listener engaged.

For a sequel, it has the strength of its own story line, similar to Jennifer Weiners "Certain Girls" was to "Good in Bed".
This book is worth a credit, one of Kristin Hannah's best!

Forever moved by this book

There are times in this book I can’t stop crying...then rejoicing, and fighting for every character. It genuinely depicts who people really are, the tender, raw, exposed and broken humans we have no other option to be.
But it also shows the hope we are gifted with when we are afforded the opportunity to reflect. And while I’m not sure how much reference there actually is to Christ, I see in this story the grace God gives to all Christians that we are forever held and protected and loved despite what tragedies we are facing. Thank you for writing Firefly Lane and Fly Away. These two books are the best I’ve read all year.

Spoke to me

I’ve been going through a hard time lately with family members and this book helped me wrap my mind around how relationships can be redeemed.

Sequel to Firefly Lane

I agree that this is not a stand alone book and is quite depressing either way. However, having read Firefly Lane, I did find this sequel to be a good follow up. It is very dark and sometimes difficult to get through, however, it was nice to see where the author would take the characters and relationships. I too am a much bigger fan of Firefly Lane!

Disappointing Sequel

I absolutely loved the first book Firefly Lane. But the first three quarters of this book was so depressing I almost stopped reading it multiple times. If I weren’t so attached to the characters from the first book I would have stopped reading, but I loved the women and was rooting them on in hopes for a happy ending. I got my happy ending but at the price of enduring a painfully long sad story. Firefly Lane was much happier.

Pretty Book Cover. One Darned Depressing Novel

Painfully maudlin: So syrupy that my teeth ached if I read for too long in one setting. Trusting the rave reviews of this book’s prequel, I didn’t fear preordering so that I could download it the first day it came out. This book does stand on its own. I got enough of this whole group of characters in this one book. I have not a single desire to read the first novel after slugging through this novel. This book starts off depressing and doesn’t stop till it gets dismal.

The first four chapters could have been summed up in a single paragraph. It doesn’t take 4 chapters to get across the sorrow of cancer survivors. Repeating and counting the depth of bereavement over and over doesn’t deepen the idea of sorry. By chapter 5 the author has beaten just how sad everyone is to the point that Moses-Tobaini’s “Hearts and Flowers” is lilting in background. Kate and Tully had thirty year friendship. I was impressed the first time you stated it. Dragging “thirty year friendship” in over and over in some kind of weird speak was pointless and irritating. Who has these type conversations? No one talks like the people in this book. Ms Hannah writing should be put on a question mark diet. At least one question follows too mnay statement in this book. Tully sees a man walking towards her. Why does he look so familiar? Tully considers speaking to him. Why does she feel the need to? Why? Why ask why when you really don't want to know why? Why?


The general story is good. I rolled my eyes and groaned aloud through the entire book because it was basically interesting and I was curious enough in the plight of the characters to drag myself to the ending. Along the way there were additional surprises, twists and turns that makes for a strong plot. It’s a clever story between the sappy sugary morose languishing of repetitive waves of insecurities and vacillation.

0H PLEASE, A dispeptic experience in melodrama!!!

Would you try another book from Kristin Hannah and/or Susan Ericksen?

I don't think so;

Would you be willing to try another one of Susan Ericksen’s performances?

No, I believe this narrator was WAY over the top....slow and melodramatic

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

disappointment