Overview

1964: A dark summer night on a still black lake. A lantern is lit at the end of a dock. A blond girl in white appears and begins to dance, her body illuminated like the fireflies surrounding her. A second girl emerges from a house and is beckoned forward. The two meet, swim, and then kiss. Thus begins an ethereal romance and a young woman’s journey into adulthood.

Robin Bennet, 14, has been accidentally abandoned at a lakeside rental in the Pocono Mountains. Her parents argue and leave, each believing the other has remained with Robin. Alone, Robin discovers that someone has been sleeping in the house and stealing vodka and snacks. A fifteen-year-old boy, Kieran, the charming intruder, invites himself to dinner. He is the brother of the beautiful girl who magically appeared on the dock the night before. After he departs, the “Firefly” returns, lights the lantern, and circles around it. Robin joins her; the two swim and make love. When Robin awakens, the Firefly—Stella—has disappeared, and Robin’s mother arrives, announcing a return to New Jersey because she’s divorcing Robin’s father. Frantic, Robin tries to find Stella, a search that continues while Robin builds a career as an architect in Manhattan, fails in marriage, and struggles with her sexual identity.

REVIEWS:

“The Firefly, a novel by Laury A. Egan, tells the story of lost love, a successful but loveless life, and ultimate reward over nearly three decades. Fourteen-year-old Robin is spending the summer before her freshman high school year in a house by a lake. One night, through the window, she sees a pale, beautiful creature dance around a glowing lantern on the deck. She names the creature Firefly. Through high school, college, and the beginning of a career as an architect, Robin never forgets and never finds anyone to compare or compete with her beloved Firefly. She builds a life, through estranged then divorced parents, her own failed marriage, and personal triumphs. But without the Firefly, there is no brightness at its center. Egan’s novel is a compelling read that draws the reader to it, like a firefly in the night. Will Robin and the Firefly ever meet again? Will it all turn out to be illusion, a trick of the light?”—Richard May, author of Because of Roses: Ten Stories

“This latest book by Laury A. Egan, The Firefly, joins her double handful of other novels which feature young women discovering themselves and others as they pass through life. This one features a twenty-year love story, fueled only by delicious memories. The Firefly expertly follows the vagaries of a troubled young girl’s life as she tries hard to direct her soul back to an unconditional love that fascinated her at one of her lowest points. This is an excellent, complex work and may well reign supreme alongside Egan’s other works.”—Nat Burns, author of Rosemary

“I ate it up! Brilliant pacing. I adored Robin! The entire book is endearing. Tenderness. I'm charmed. A marvy read. You sure rose to the romance challenge. It unfolds perfectly across the years. Life's passages!”—Karla Linn Merrifield, author of Psyche’s Scroll

“The Firefly is Robin’s story including her search for her elusive firefly over the span of thirty years. It is a wonderfully written story about coming of age and coming to terms and accepting who she is. Robin is a very relatable and realistic character. We follow her journey from teenager to mature woman, who needs to learn to be honest with herself and the people around her in a time when it was anything but easy to do so. Robin being hopelessly in love and chasing her dream, kept me turning the pages and hoping with her through the years. Along the way she comes to regret some of her personal decisions but she never wavers from her quest to find her firefly.

The Firefly let‘s us hope that it is possible to find your dream, even against all odds.

Robin‘s parents left me shaking my head, wanting to shake some sense into them at the same time. Although their selfishness forces Robin to grow up faster, at least to some degree it helps her becoming successful in her chosen profession. The only thing missing, for a long time, is the one person she wants to share her life and her success with. Circumstances, society and unfortunate events lead to a solitary existence. But there is no need to despair, for Robin and the reader everything comes full circle in the end. Much to my delight!

Laury A. Egan is very skilled in bringing the reader into the moment with Robin. We accompany her on her journey, we are in the room with her, and we despair and rejoice with her! The narration flows wonderfully, never too fast but always wanting you to follow along. This is most definitely the kind of book we need more of!”—Edith Zeitlberger, author of Fractures and Hinges: A Romance