Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor Shearer ~ A Book Review

 Thank you to NetGalley/ Berkeley Publishing for/ BookBrowse for the privilege of reading and Advance Reader Copy of Fireflies in Winter in exchange for an honest review.

Protagonist Cora along with Silas, Leah and young Benjamin were transported by the British from Jamaica to Nova Scotia following the 2nd Maroon war. Maroons were escaped African slaves who fled to the interior mountains of Jamaica, fought colonization, and developed their own culture. The Maroons lived in Nova Scotia between 1796 and 1800 before sailing to Sierra Leone.

Cora is an orphan living with her friend Leah and widower Silas, who has an eye on Cora. The book actually begins with a woman on trial in a Halifax courtroom. The narrative moves back and forth from the courtroom to the Maroons living in the village of Preston.
I liked the writing style of Eleanor Shearer. Additionally, I’d been u familiar with the deportations of Maroons from Jamaica to Nova Scotia, which intrigued me and caused me to dig deeper into the history. I can’t imagine a greater cultural shift than being transported from the Caribbean Beaty of Jamaica to the wintry starkness of Nova Scotia. 
Ultimately, I thought Cora was the least interesting character in the book. I could not empathize with Cora. Agnes remained an enigma. Other characters including Thursday, Leah, and Benjamin found my heart.

Protagonist Cora along with Silas, Leah and young Benjamin were transported by the British from Jamaica to Nova Scotia following the 2nd Maroon war. Maroons were escaped African slaves who fled to the interior mountains of Jamaica, fought colonization, and developed their own culture. The Maroons lived in Nova Scotia between 1796 and 1800 before sailing to Sierra Leone.

Cora is an orphan living with her friend Leah and widower Silas, who has an eye on Cora. The book actually begins with a woman on trial in a Halifax courtroom. The narrative moves back and forth from the courtroom to the Maroons living in the village of Preston.
I liked the writing style of Eleanor Shearer. Additionally, I’d been u familiar with the deportations of Maroons from Jamaica to Nova Scotia, which intrigued me and caused me to dig deeper into the history. I can’t imagine a greater cultural shift than being transported from the Caribbean Beaty of Jamaica to the wintry starkness of Nova Scotia. 
Ultimately, I thought Cora was the least interesting character in the book. I could not empathize with Cora. Agnes remained an enigma. Other characters including Thursday, Leah, and Benjamin found my heart.

This book will be published February 10, 2026

I Saw Melania with Girlfriends ~ We Enjoyed It

I hadn’t planned to see the film Melania at a cinema. I am neither a huge fan nor one with antipathy towards FLOTUS. However,  the degree of denigration and contempt directed towards Melania Trump over the years I’ve found misogynistic, unbalanced, and completely out of proportion to that of any First Lady in my lifetime- including Nancy Reagan. 

Since COVID, we’ve been to a cinema on average once annually. We had planned to drive to NYC on Friday to spend the weekend visiting the JP Morgan Library, the Tenement Museum, and to attend a party in Brooklyn on Saturday evening. The bone chilling projected temperatures caused us to scuttle our plans. 

Thursday, I reached out to a friend who has been experiencing some personal challenge to check in.  She invited me to join her and others for dinner and a screening of Melania Friday evening. Why not? As my husband said, I needed to be ‘aired out’. I accepted the invite and am happy I did so. 

The near unanimous snarky reviews by critics who regularly deride the former and current POTUS and FLOTUS encouraged rather than discouraged me to watch the film in a theater. Our group went to a cinema in Leesburg, Virginia that was quite full. 

This documentary focuses on the twenty days leading up to the Inauguration of President Trump and afforded ‘we the people’ a look behind the curtain at the details involved in preparing for the transition between presidential administrations. 

 Critics focused almost exclusively on Melania’s shoe collection and the designing of her inaugural wardrobe. But, it was much more of an insight into the eye for details in preparing for a donation dinner at the Building Museum, how she would present herself to the world on Inauguration Day, the warmth she projected to those working with her, the security concerns regarding the safety of her husband and family, and her commitment to children’s issues which she shares with Brigitte Macron and Queen Rania of Jordan.

It is evident that Melania Trump guards her privacy. From the time of Martha Washington, the spouse of the American president has been thrust into living in a fishbowl. No First Lady during my lifetime has been subjected to the criticism, cruelty, contempt, misrepresentation and outright hatred as has Melania Trump. Her clothes, her image, her reticence, her sphinx like attitude are her armor. 

After seeing this film, I am more impressed by Melania’s determination to thrive among the nest of vipers that make assumptions and cast aspersions based upon Trump Derangement Syndrome.

I, for one, hope Melania Trump gets the last laugh.