A Moment of Fireflies

by John McCluskey

A Moment of Fireflies (New Plains Press) tells the story of Michael Callahan, a Depression era alcoholic husband and father wrestling with a tormented past and its impact on him, his wife Lily, his young son David, and younger daughter Meggy. Can he survive the unimaginable event from years past in Ireland, locked up in his heart for so many years, without dulling away hard memories with drink? Can love from his family bring him back from the brink.

Genres: Fiction

110 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2017

Reviews

[Paul F. Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author John McCluskey covers a lot of ground in "A Moment of Fireflies," his compact and moving novel from 2017. Set over a few winter days in Depression-era Chicago, the story follows a family struggling under the consequences of bad choices, and a 10-year-old boy vowing to make things right. As McCluskey explores father-son relationships and how childhood events can alter the course of one's life, his sensitive writing brings to mind James Agee's "A Death in the Family." McCluskey's strong sense of place (Keeler Avenue and vicinity), believable dialogue, and contextual details ground this story in reality. Both heartbreaking and redemptive, this story is well worth the read.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book from goodreads.

This was a very touching story that really takes you into the head and the heart of each of the characters. I was sorry it ended when it did. What happens next? I'm sure this is what John intended. He wants us to think about the story long after we close the last page. Well done!

[Shreya Vijay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Moment of Fireflies
John McCluskey

A Moment of Fireflies is a beautiful and moving story of an alcoholic dad, Michael who harbors a dark secret that has been tormenting him for more than a couple of years. Set in the Depression era, this book deals with myriad sensitive subjects and gives the reader an insight into the issues faced by a lot of people during those times.

John has skillfully tackled a hefty subject matter and has deftly crafted it into a beautiful tale which highlights the importance of familial love and the absolute need for support. The language of the novel is reader friendly and the author has done a commendable job on this debut novel. The story is short yet manages to convey what the author wishes to.

Owing to the fact that this book was a concise one, the plot did not really have a lot of space to develop and come together. The reader was thrown head first into the story from the beginning. And this was a plus point of the book. The story was precise, to the point and fast paced. I couldn’t stop reading the book once I started it. The narration was beyond perfect and it gave us insight into the minds of all the characters.

Coming to the characters, I think I need to admit that every single character, for me, was real. To me, all the characters were penned to absolute perfection. The author brought together a close-knit community and penned his story around those handful characters. Further, I really liked how the author kept the element of anticipation alive throughout the novel via short flashbacks which gradually lead the reader to deciphering the actual root of the family strain.

This was my first historical fiction read and I can confidently say I wasn’t disappointed. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to people who are looking for a quick read to get out of their reading slump.

"𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘."

[Cayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novella that expands on topics similar to the phrase "hurt people hurt people." A story about brokenness, forgiveness, anger, and love. A beautiful and brief story that drops us into a day in the life of an Irish family in Chicago during the great depression. John McCluskey writes beautiful prose. The only downside to the story is how much was tried to pack into its brevity, but that also might be part of its brilliance. Extremely short read, but enjoyable and deep.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best way to describe this book is "atmospheric." You can feel the pulse of the city, the desperation of the Great Depression, the conflicting emotions of the characters. I like the hope that David represents. it is very short, more of a snapshot of a few days in the life of this family, so there is no magical "fix." still, it is a story that will linger with you once you are done.
I did receive a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway-so glad that I did!

[Heather Barksdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A Moment of Fireflies” introduces you to a few days in the life of a young family in Chicago during the great depression. Changing points of view reveal insight into each of the characters while also delving into the relationships between the members of this struggling family.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I thought the character development was well done, especially when it came to David. I could feel the anguish of each of the characters pouring out of the pages of the book and it was heartbreaking. I wanted to jump into the story, sit the family down, and make everyone talk about their issues. But the story was set at a different time and seemed very representative of the struggles that both past and present families continue to experience. Unfortunately I was not a fan of the ending. The story just ended. This may have been the author’s intent, but as I’ve said before, I am not a fan of cliffhangers.

I received a free copy of this novella in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[M. Lujan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. McCluskey's use of vivid imagery and internal narration is what gives life to each of his versatile characters. Although each character struggles individually with torments unique to them, it's the blanket of silence used as a coping skill within the family unit that gives "A Moment of Fireflies" it's almost eerie effect. Set during a notably hopeless time period in history, John McCluskey gives us a taste of life during the Great Depression while also tapping into the universal pain and sorrow we experience across all ages and lifetimes.

[Jim Drexel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I could not put down and was sorry when I finished reading it because I wanted more! John McCluskey knows how to get into the heads and hearts of his characters and bring them to life like few authors can. The depth of feeling in this book captures the complexity of what it means to be human. I can't wait for John McCluskey's next effort.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read John McCluskey’s poetry in the past, I eagerly awaited his first novella, “A Moment of Fireflies.” I was not disappointed. The story line was interesting and descriptive. The characters were so well developed and I could easily relate to them and root for them. Bravo, John McCluskey!

[Bonnie Gonzales · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so interesting to me as I grew up in the country and there was no taking street cars anywhere for me and reading about David's catching and taking the street cars and all he saw just held me spell bond.
There was such hard times and so many worries.
I won this book from Goodreads, thank you.
Short easy read.

[Sparklin C Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time to read anything by John. This book here was beautifully written. You could just feel how the characters felt. It's a short book, you can finish in one sitting.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read about a depression era family living in the city. While this particular family has more than most at this time, due to the father's childhood depression and drinking play a part in their daily lives. The young son wants his little sister to have a better figure to look up to and tries his best to do all he can for her in spite of not receiving the same from his father. For such a short book, there's a lot of introspection. In spite of the rather gloomy tone throughout, the ending left me feeling hopeful for this struggling family.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful and moving short story about damaged souls and possible redemption that is played out during a dark era in American history. Author John McClusky draws in and keeps the readers' attention to the last word. I, for one, will read more of his works.

[Nona Pepkowski]

Extremely well written. You could feel the fathers remorse treating his son the way he did because of what happened to the father as a child. Easy read, done in 2 days.