JDCMustReadBooks

By: Kaya McLaren

ISBN: 9781250019776
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 10/14/2014
Format: Other
My Rating: 3.5 Stars

A special thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Kaya McLaren's The Firelight Girls, is a heartwarming light read, of five female friends, across three generations with cherished memories to last a life time.

A group of women known as The Firelight Girls,have fond memories and ties to Camp Firelight, on Lake Wenatchee a summer camp for girls of all ages. When the camp is about to close down, Ethel, the camp "manager", for over fifty years, decides she needs some help to clean the place up. She invites the Firelight Girls to come and say their farewells, to the place they all loved and prepare for its sale.

Ethel is sad and overwhelmed, as she has much to do, so enlists the help of three other former campers, Laura, Ruby and Shannon. While the four of them continue to mourn the loss of their camp, Ethel is still mourning the loss of the love of her life, Haddie, her partner. (carrying her urn of ashes everywhere and continues talking to her).

Two women suffering from midlife crisis: Forty-year-old Shannon, spent the summers of her youth as a vibrant, camp counselor and is now directionless after watching her career implode. Laura, has lost all intimacy with her husband and doesn't know if she can save what seems to be gone forever. Ruby, betrayed Ethel years ago and hasn't spoken to her since, hopes this will be her chance to make amends.

Amber, a teenage girl (a new addition) to the group, with a drug-addicted, and neglectful mother, is staying in one of the cabins, unsure how she can make it there in the winter. The ladies take her under their wind, making for a nice group of women covering multi-generations. The women bond, face their past, and make plans for their future, together.

I especially enjoyed the characters, Ethel and Amber. I agree with one of the other reviewers – would have enjoyed the story more focused on these two characters, and the other two as more of secondary characters.

From the 1950’s to 2013, so many stories from an array of different women and a Lodge which had always been the camp with cedar, cabins, fireplaces, dirt, swimming, proms, hiking, lunches, canoes, fishing, kayaks, food, friendship, and many memorable stories from the heart.

The author offers specials insights into the work of summer camps, having spent her summers in college working at Camp Zanika on Lake Wenatchee in Washington State, and fifteen years later returned to run the teen programs for two more, as well as a teacher. I also enjoyed the inspiration for the book, a group of women FOZ (Friends of Zanika), who saved Camp Zanika when it was going under, rolling up their sleeves with many powerful stories and reflections.

The Firelight Girls reminds me a little of Susan Wiggs’ Lakeshore Chronicles Series (which I loved, as read them all) surrounding Willow Lake, camps, and lodges, as well as author, Emilie Richards and her stories of women. Fans of women’s fiction, female friendship, and summer camp stories will enjoy this insightful story of love, loss, regret, reinvention, and forgiveness.