Fly Away

Return to the world of FIREFLY LANE—now a Netflix series—from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah.

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 thirty 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.

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Published Mar 25, 2014

441 pages

Average rating: 7.54

144 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

lekechialyshell
Jan 03, 2026
7/10 stars
My first read of 2026. It's been one hell of a journey. "Pathos" is the word that comes to mind. The themes explored - loss, generational trauma, grief, shame, addiction, depression, etcetera - are heavy. Dorothy's unfolding took me through all the stages of grief... Tully's isolation and breaking... Marah's...everything... Johnny's displaced rage, distance, and guilt... All of it was a lot. Depending on the readers own history and capacity, perhaps, at times it's too much. This is a book I wanted to stop multiple times, and it's a book (and series) I am glad I read. All things considered: I think my biggest takeaway is: Life is unfair. It's brutal. And, it's beautiful. Redemption is possible. I do think readers should be aware that this book has a lot of violence, especially Dorothy's story. The abuse from her father; inaction, silence, and complicity of her mother; her experiences in institutions; the physical abuse from her partner - all of it is violent. Readers who get fully immersed in stories and highly sensitive persons: brace your nervous system.
Bosky
Dec 30, 2025
8/10 stars
3.5 stars rounded up. I read Firefly lane and listened to the audiobook Fly away. All main characters are women of different ages/generations. Hannah's strength is character development of flawed but ultimately strong women. This story centers on Tully with supporting the cast of Kate, Marah (Kate's daughter), Johnny (Kate's husband), Margie (Kate's mother), and Cloud. Cloud aka Dorothy, Tully's mother, makes a strong appearance in this book- you get the opportunity to hear her full story. This is a deep emotional story highlighting a common theme throughout all the characters - the desperation to love and be loved. While I really enjoyed this book, I felt there was so much darkness and frenzied desperation. As a reader, I wanted a just a sliver of light throughout the book.
Harrietaspy
May 04, 2025
6/10 stars
Good light read.
aviationmet
Mar 31, 2025
8/10 stars
This is another good one from author Kristin Hannah. It's a great dive into relationships of all kinds - family (mother/daughter, father/daughter, etc) and friendships, and the difficulties and redemptions available in them all.
margardenlady
Dec 27, 2023
10/10 stars
Lively story about love and loss. Coming of age -at all ages, the redemption of human connection. Tully has it all, or at least looks that way, until her BFF dies of cancer. Kate’s death puts her family in a downward spiral, which we see most clearly in her teenage daughter Marah. Realistic characters.

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