A Jar of Fireflies

A Memoir of Growing Up in the South

Non-Fiction - Memoir
Kindle Edition
Reviewed on 02/20/2017
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Geree McDermott for Readers' Favorite

In Jane Gragg Lewis’s A Jar of Fireflies: A Memoir of Growing Up in the South, we follow Jane Gragg Lewis from early childhood through college and into adulthood. Her memories in the form of short stories are sometimes delightful and sometimes sad, sometimes funny and sometimes alarming.

Jane is the second child of a caring, level-headed, fair-minded, sweet-natured father and a mean-spirited, hateful, abusive, and unloving mother. Her older sister is her mother’s favorite and little Jane is the target of her mother’s irrational anger and dysfunctional wrath; yet Jane is strong willed and indomitable and manages to survive the difficult relationship with her mother. Fortunately, Jane has her father to provide love, understanding, and balance in her life. A Jar of Fireflies also gives us unique insight into what life was like in the south during decades of segregation and racism through Jane's daring and courageous experiences.

I very much enjoyed reading Jane Gragg Lewis’s A Jar of Fireflies. In fact, I could not put it down. I empathized when Jane had problems with her mother; I was proud of her when she stood up to authority and helped those in need; feared for her when she took risks; and loved her for being herself. Jane Gragg Lewis’s A Jar of Fireflies: A Memoir of Growing Up in the South is a great, flawless read.

Noreen

I have read this interesting book in the past and planning to read it again. The author and I share an alike childhood except in my childhood it was my father who was irrational & a bully and my mom was a lovely and nurturing woman.

Good to know others have had this same experience and share with us.

Noreen