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A review by littleladyluna
Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff
4.0
Fireworks Over Toccoa begins with the discovery of a long-lost gift given to Lily Davis Woodward when she was twenty. Lily, who is now eighty-four, begins to tell the story of four days in 1945 that changed her life forever. At the end of WWII, Lily was excited because her husband was returning home from serving three years in the war, but she was also apprehensive because they had spent but two weeks as a married couple before Paul was shipped out. While preparing for Paul's return, Lily meets Jake Russo, and Italian pyrotechnician just back from the war, who is visiting the small town of Toccoa, Georgia to produce a beautiful fireworks show for the 4th of July. Jake and Lily are instantly drawn to one another and make a connection as brilliant as any of Jake's fireworks. But Paul is returning in just a few days and Lily has to make a choice between living the life she knows everyone expects of her and following her heart.
To be perfectly honest, I almost didn't read this book because it had been compared to Nicholas Sparks's novels, and while he seems like a great guy, I like the movies of Sparks's books better than the books. However, the draw of reading a novel set in a town where I have spent so much time (Toccoa is about half an hour from where I live) was too much for me to ignore. So, though I was a little skeptical at first, the book quickly drew me in and I finished it in a few short hours. The character of Lily was a fun, vibrant one and I enjoyed getting to know her and seeing the relationship between her and Jake develop. The town of Toccoa was almost a character in itself as the author spent a lot of time describing its appearance and Southern charm. I especially enjoyed reading what it was like in Toccoa after the war. I've read many books set during WWII but I have read few about what it was like immediately after here in the States (especially so close to home) and it was a nice change in perspective.
To be perfectly honest, I almost didn't read this book because it had been compared to Nicholas Sparks's novels, and while he seems like a great guy, I like the movies of Sparks's books better than the books. However, the draw of reading a novel set in a town where I have spent so much time (Toccoa is about half an hour from where I live) was too much for me to ignore. So, though I was a little skeptical at first, the book quickly drew me in and I finished it in a few short hours. The character of Lily was a fun, vibrant one and I enjoyed getting to know her and seeing the relationship between her and Jake develop. The town of Toccoa was almost a character in itself as the author spent a lot of time describing its appearance and Southern charm. I especially enjoyed reading what it was like in Toccoa after the war. I've read many books set during WWII but I have read few about what it was like immediately after here in the States (especially so close to home) and it was a nice change in perspective.