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Fireflies in Winter
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Expected 10 Feb 26Win a free kindle copy of this book!
9 days and 17:02:19
50 copies available
U.S. only
A gripping novel about two women fighting for survival in the icy wilderness of Nova Scotia, and the love that simultaneously sustains them and threatens their very existence, from the author of the Good Morning America Book Club pick River Sing Me Home.
1796. Cora, an orphan newly arrived from Jamaica, has never felt cold like this. In the depths of winter, everyone in her community huddles together in their homes to keep warm. So when she sees a shadow slipping through the trees, Cora thinks her eyes are deceiving her. Until she creeps out into the moonlight and finds the tracks in the snow.
Agnes is in hiding. On the run from her former life, she has learned what it takes to survive alone in the wilderness. But she can afford no mistakes. When she first spies the young woman in the woods, she is afraid. Yet Cora is fearless, and their paths are destined to cross.
Deep amongst the cedars, Cora and Agnes find a fragile place of safety. But when Agnes’s past closes in, they are confronted with the dangerous price of freedom—and of love....
1796. Cora, an orphan newly arrived from Jamaica, has never felt cold like this. In the depths of winter, everyone in her community huddles together in their homes to keep warm. So when she sees a shadow slipping through the trees, Cora thinks her eyes are deceiving her. Until she creeps out into the moonlight and finds the tracks in the snow.
Agnes is in hiding. On the run from her former life, she has learned what it takes to survive alone in the wilderness. But she can afford no mistakes. When she first spies the young woman in the woods, she is afraid. Yet Cora is fearless, and their paths are destined to cross.
Deep amongst the cedars, Cora and Agnes find a fragile place of safety. But when Agnes’s past closes in, they are confronted with the dangerous price of freedom—and of love....
315 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 10, 2026
19 people are currently reading
8583 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Shearer
2 books590 followersEleanor Shearer is a mixed race writer from the UK. She splits her time between London and Ramsgate on the coast of Kent, so that she never has to go too long without seeing the sea.
As the granddaughter of Caribbean immigrants who came to the UK as part of the Windrush Generation, Eleanor has always been drawn to Caribbean history. Her first novel, RIVER SING ME HOME (Headline, UK & Berkley, USA) is inspired by the true stories of the brave woman who went looking for their stolen children after the abolition of slavery in 1834.
The novel draws on her time spent in the Caribbean, visiting family in St Lucia and Barbados. It was also informed by her Master's degree in Politics, where she focused on how slavery is remembered on the islands today. She travelled to the Caribbean and interviewed activists, historians and family members, and their reflections on what it really means to be free made her more determined than ever to bring the hidden stories of slavery to light.
As the granddaughter of Caribbean immigrants who came to the UK as part of the Windrush Generation, Eleanor has always been drawn to Caribbean history. Her first novel, RIVER SING ME HOME (Headline, UK & Berkley, USA) is inspired by the true stories of the brave woman who went looking for their stolen children after the abolition of slavery in 1834.
The novel draws on her time spent in the Caribbean, visiting family in St Lucia and Barbados. It was also informed by her Master's degree in Politics, where she focused on how slavery is remembered on the islands today. She travelled to the Caribbean and interviewed activists, historians and family members, and their reflections on what it really means to be free made her more determined than ever to bring the hidden stories of slavery to light.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I had been impressed by River Song Me Home, so was delighted to be given an advance copy of Shearer’s sophomore effort, Fireflies in Winter. But this book didn’t pull me in the way her debut did. The story takes place in late 18th century Halifax. A young woman, an orphaned Maroon, has recently arrived from Jamaica. I was unaware of the concept of Maroons and found it odd that Shearer only slowly explains the concept (and then just in spatters) and what brought them to Nova Scotia. I had to check Wikipedia to really get a grasp. Did she assume everyone knew the history? The book would be improved by a brief synopsis of their history before the book begins.
During the harsh winter, she meets another young black woman who is hiding out in the woods. She has never felt she belonged within her community and finds herself drawn to this stranger in the woods.
This is a slow moving story, going back and forth in its limited timeline. It doesn’t come together until it’s almost ⅔ over. It’s a dark story, focusing on the slippery slope of freedom for anyone not white.
The writing is beautiful. Shearer does a great job providing a sense of time and place. I had a real feel for the absolute cold of the winter.
My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an advance copy of this book.
During the harsh winter, she meets another young black woman who is hiding out in the woods. She has never felt she belonged within her community and finds herself drawn to this stranger in the woods.
This is a slow moving story, going back and forth in its limited timeline. It doesn’t come together until it’s almost ⅔ over. It’s a dark story, focusing on the slippery slope of freedom for anyone not white.
The writing is beautiful. Shearer does a great job providing a sense of time and place. I had a real feel for the absolute cold of the winter.
My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an advance copy of this book.
October 15, 2025
Simply luminous. Two young women find each other in the frozen landscape of eighteenth-century Nova Scotia: Cora, a free-born orphan newly arrived from Jamaica with her community, and Agnes, a mysterious forest-dweller on the run from her past. Eleanor Shearer powerfully explores the fragile spaces in history where Black citizens negotiate freedom, the harsh choices frequently forced upon them, and the powerful force of love within those spaces. A book to treasure.
November 2, 2025
A strong additional to the Caribbean historical fiction genre, impossible to put down
Set in 1796 between Nova Scotia and Jamaica, we meet Cora, an orphan experiencing her first winter. Cora’s adopted family are Maroons from Jamaica who made their way to Nova Scotia. She is far away from home and everything that feels familiar, her only anchor is her adopted mother and brother but she fears for her father and what he may do to her. Cora has never experienced winter or know what its like to be a free Black woman in 1796 in Nova Scotia.
One day, upon exploring the forest she runs into a young girl, Agnes and her dog who seems to live in the wild. Agnes does not talk about her previous life and why she seems to be in hiding but they form a bond. When Cora runs away from home, she does directly to Agnes as a safe haven, but their past catches up to them….
This was such an interesting read. I vaguely read about Jamaican Maroons living in Nova Scotia so when I heard the writer was doing a book on this, it was an instant must read. I knew there were Jamaicans who went to Sierra Leone but not Nova Scotia, because why Nova Scotia, and what was the change in weather like, that was explored perfectly. I loved the friendship and later love between Cora and Agnes, it was done in the most tender and beautiful way. What was also lovely was how the author spoke about nature and it may have been like in the 1790s, loved the inclusion of the whale scenes.
In the author’s note she said: I resist the idea that we should learn history in national silos, largely because European imperialism constructed a global system. Our ancestors wouldn’t have recognized a strict distinction between these places, and nor should we.
I do wish there was more about their journey from Jamaica to Nova Scotia, how this entire deal came to be, but this being my first time reading this in Caribbean literature, I am pleased with everything.
This is truly so important! I hope everyone reads this is and learn something new.
Set in 1796 between Nova Scotia and Jamaica, we meet Cora, an orphan experiencing her first winter. Cora’s adopted family are Maroons from Jamaica who made their way to Nova Scotia. She is far away from home and everything that feels familiar, her only anchor is her adopted mother and brother but she fears for her father and what he may do to her. Cora has never experienced winter or know what its like to be a free Black woman in 1796 in Nova Scotia.
One day, upon exploring the forest she runs into a young girl, Agnes and her dog who seems to live in the wild. Agnes does not talk about her previous life and why she seems to be in hiding but they form a bond. When Cora runs away from home, she does directly to Agnes as a safe haven, but their past catches up to them….
This was such an interesting read. I vaguely read about Jamaican Maroons living in Nova Scotia so when I heard the writer was doing a book on this, it was an instant must read. I knew there were Jamaicans who went to Sierra Leone but not Nova Scotia, because why Nova Scotia, and what was the change in weather like, that was explored perfectly. I loved the friendship and later love between Cora and Agnes, it was done in the most tender and beautiful way. What was also lovely was how the author spoke about nature and it may have been like in the 1790s, loved the inclusion of the whale scenes.
In the author’s note she said: I resist the idea that we should learn history in national silos, largely because European imperialism constructed a global system. Our ancestors wouldn’t have recognized a strict distinction between these places, and nor should we.
I do wish there was more about their journey from Jamaica to Nova Scotia, how this entire deal came to be, but this being my first time reading this in Caribbean literature, I am pleased with everything.
This is truly so important! I hope everyone reads this is and learn something new.
November 11, 2025
This is a beautifully written book set in Nova Scotia. It is based on a real event in history in which a group of former Jamaican slaves had been granted freedom by the British government. After a long voyage, they established a colony in a harsh cold climate, much different from their homeland. Fictional protagonist Cora is one of these Jamaicans. She meets Thursday, an indentured servant, and Agnes, a former slave living in the wilderness. It is a reflective character driven story of friendship, survival, love, freedom, hope, and the moral quandaries that arise when dealing with bondage.
Occasionally, I come across an author whose writing style speaks to me and is just what I look for in a book. Eleanor Shearer is one of those authors. Her prose is lyrical. She crafts a story that flows well and is satisfying in the end. I previously had read her debut (River Sing Me Home) and was extremely impressed. This, her second book, is equally impressive. I am adding Shearer to my list of favorite authors and will read anything she writes.
I received an advance reader’s copy from the publisher via NetGalley. The book is due to be released in February, 2026.
Occasionally, I come across an author whose writing style speaks to me and is just what I look for in a book. Eleanor Shearer is one of those authors. Her prose is lyrical. She crafts a story that flows well and is satisfying in the end. I previously had read her debut (River Sing Me Home) and was extremely impressed. This, her second book, is equally impressive. I am adding Shearer to my list of favorite authors and will read anything she writes.
I received an advance reader’s copy from the publisher via NetGalley. The book is due to be released in February, 2026.
October 5, 2025
This was my first book by this author. Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book in advance of the publishing date. This review is completely my own opinion.
Fireflies in Winter was such a heartfelt and interesting read. The story had just the right mix of emotion, hope, love, mystery…. I really liked the characters — they felt real and easy to root for — and the winter setting made it even more atmospheric. The theme of found family was a constant. I learned many things about slavery in Canada & especially Maroons. Make sure to read the author’s note at the end.
It dragged a bit at the beginning , which is why I’m giving it four stars instead of five, but overall it’s a beautiful story that stuck with me after I finished. Definitely worth the read! Looking forward to lots more by this author!
Fireflies in Winter was such a heartfelt and interesting read. The story had just the right mix of emotion, hope, love, mystery…. I really liked the characters — they felt real and easy to root for — and the winter setting made it even more atmospheric. The theme of found family was a constant. I learned many things about slavery in Canada & especially Maroons. Make sure to read the author’s note at the end.
It dragged a bit at the beginning , which is why I’m giving it four stars instead of five, but overall it’s a beautiful story that stuck with me after I finished. Definitely worth the read! Looking forward to lots more by this author!
January 8, 2026
I loved this author’s debut novel (River Sing Me Home), so I was excited for her second historical fiction novel which I enjoyed even more. It is a well written story about slavery in 1796, the price of freedom and love, survival and resilience.
Thank you @BerkleyPub and Eleanor Shearer for the Goodreads Giveaway. Publishing date: 2/10/26. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Thank you @BerkleyPub and Eleanor Shearer for the Goodreads Giveaway. Publishing date: 2/10/26. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
September 25, 2025
Set in late 1700s Nova Scotia, this story follows Cora, a young woman from Jamaica living among a small community of Maroons—a group I had never encountered in literature before. She resides with her surrogate mother, a young child, and the child's father in this tight-knit settlement.
When Cora glimpses a mysterious figure darting through the snow-laden forest, she becomes consumed with finding this person. Her search leads her to Agnes, a woman surviving alone in the harsh wilderness. As their unlikely relationship develops, both women must battle not only the brutal elements but also the threat of discovery by the community they're desperately trying to avoid.
The narrative weaves in compelling mysteries surrounding a looming trial and secrets about Cora's mother, creating layers of suspense that propel the story forward. This book opened my eyes to so much history I had never known, particularly about the Maroon people and their experiences in colonial Canada.
When Cora glimpses a mysterious figure darting through the snow-laden forest, she becomes consumed with finding this person. Her search leads her to Agnes, a woman surviving alone in the harsh wilderness. As their unlikely relationship develops, both women must battle not only the brutal elements but also the threat of discovery by the community they're desperately trying to avoid.
The narrative weaves in compelling mysteries surrounding a looming trial and secrets about Cora's mother, creating layers of suspense that propel the story forward. This book opened my eyes to so much history I had never known, particularly about the Maroon people and their experiences in colonial Canada.
October 6, 2025
I thought it was too wordy and took too long to get interesting (about 2/3 in). I thought it would be better as I liked another book by this author.
However, the last third is quite good, so it gained a star.
However, the last third is quite good, so it gained a star.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor Shearer publishes with Headline February 10th and is described as a novel 'with evocative prose and immersive storytelling...a powerful novel about love – love for the wilderness in all its unforgiving beauty, and love between two women who risk everything to be together.'
In 1796 the Jamaican Maroons were sent into exile, under British rule, to Nova Scotia following the Maroon wars. Originally descended from escaped African slaves, the harsh conditions of the Canadian climate proved a great challenge for many of the settlers. Cora, one of these new arrivals from Trelawny Town, was orphaned from birth and reared by Leah, an African slave, who mothered her and looked out for her, under the roof of a Maroon army soldier, Captain Silas Heath. This is quite a complex story but, as the pages turn, Cora's history is slowly revealed.
Life in Nova Scotia during the dark winter months is cruel but for these Maroons the temperature change is particularly difficult. Cultivating a harvest in hard ground is impossible so it is vital that they establish how to make ends meet. Silas Heath is a hard man to live with. He was originally married to Cora's friend, Elsy, who died tragically. Cora made a promise that until her death she would mind Elsy's son Benjamin like he was her own. Cora is different. She sees the world and those that inhabit it in her own way and is frustrated by the restrictions of her life here in Nova Scotia. Silas Heath is quite threatening in his behaviour toward her and has made it clear he does not want her to influence Benjamin's personality in anyway.
Cora likes to wander and it is on one of these off-path excursions that she sees something, a shadow in the forest. There one minute, and gone so fast the next, she initially believes that it is a ghostly apparition, perhaps the spirit of Elsy. But in time she discovers a young woman, Agnes, living alone in the wilderness. Agnes is very wary of Cora. She has remained hidden deep in forest foraging and living off her wits for survival. Agnes has her own past and is on the run, keeping to the hiddens trails away from the local villages and towns.
Overtime as Cora and Agnes slowly get to know each other, Agnes drops her guard and a tentative relationship begins. As they find their way with each other, Agnes exposes herself more but in doing so puts herself in a very dangerous position. As their very survival hangs on the balance can Cora and Agnes ever be together in this unforgiving society?
Eleanor Shearer's family history is rooted in migration as her relatives left the Carribean for the bleakness of the English climate. Through research she discovered more about the Maroons and the deal that was struck with the British government of the time. Combining their story with that of the American slaves post the War of Independence, she takes the reader on a vivid and, at times, heartbreaking immersive journey. Fireflies in Winter is a beautiful atmospheric novel that highlights the challenges of life experienced by these early settlers. The relationship between Cora and Agnes is sensitively depicted as it slowly blossoms into something very special. Fireflies in Winter is an enveloping tale, an evocative and vividly realised historical portrayal of a story of resilience and love against all the odds.
'Our imaginations have failed us if we think the queer people who came before us never experienced joy. We should not forget that they were demonized and punished. But we should also not forget that, sometimes, they simply loved' - Eleanor Shearer
In 1796 the Jamaican Maroons were sent into exile, under British rule, to Nova Scotia following the Maroon wars. Originally descended from escaped African slaves, the harsh conditions of the Canadian climate proved a great challenge for many of the settlers. Cora, one of these new arrivals from Trelawny Town, was orphaned from birth and reared by Leah, an African slave, who mothered her and looked out for her, under the roof of a Maroon army soldier, Captain Silas Heath. This is quite a complex story but, as the pages turn, Cora's history is slowly revealed.
Life in Nova Scotia during the dark winter months is cruel but for these Maroons the temperature change is particularly difficult. Cultivating a harvest in hard ground is impossible so it is vital that they establish how to make ends meet. Silas Heath is a hard man to live with. He was originally married to Cora's friend, Elsy, who died tragically. Cora made a promise that until her death she would mind Elsy's son Benjamin like he was her own. Cora is different. She sees the world and those that inhabit it in her own way and is frustrated by the restrictions of her life here in Nova Scotia. Silas Heath is quite threatening in his behaviour toward her and has made it clear he does not want her to influence Benjamin's personality in anyway.
Cora likes to wander and it is on one of these off-path excursions that she sees something, a shadow in the forest. There one minute, and gone so fast the next, she initially believes that it is a ghostly apparition, perhaps the spirit of Elsy. But in time she discovers a young woman, Agnes, living alone in the wilderness. Agnes is very wary of Cora. She has remained hidden deep in forest foraging and living off her wits for survival. Agnes has her own past and is on the run, keeping to the hiddens trails away from the local villages and towns.
Overtime as Cora and Agnes slowly get to know each other, Agnes drops her guard and a tentative relationship begins. As they find their way with each other, Agnes exposes herself more but in doing so puts herself in a very dangerous position. As their very survival hangs on the balance can Cora and Agnes ever be together in this unforgiving society?
Eleanor Shearer's family history is rooted in migration as her relatives left the Carribean for the bleakness of the English climate. Through research she discovered more about the Maroons and the deal that was struck with the British government of the time. Combining their story with that of the American slaves post the War of Independence, she takes the reader on a vivid and, at times, heartbreaking immersive journey. Fireflies in Winter is a beautiful atmospheric novel that highlights the challenges of life experienced by these early settlers. The relationship between Cora and Agnes is sensitively depicted as it slowly blossoms into something very special. Fireflies in Winter is an enveloping tale, an evocative and vividly realised historical portrayal of a story of resilience and love against all the odds.
'Our imaginations have failed us if we think the queer people who came before us never experienced joy. We should not forget that they were demonized and punished. But we should also not forget that, sometimes, they simply loved' - Eleanor Shearer
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Set in Nova Scotia, in 1796, two young women are fighting for survival on the edge of the wilderness. Cora, an orphan newly arrived from Jamaica, has never felt cold like this. In the depths of winter, everyone in her community huddles together in their homes to keep warm. So when she sees a shadow slipping through the trees, Cora thinks her eyes are deceiving her. Until she creeps out into the moonlight and finds the tracks in the snow.
Agnes is in hiding. On the run from her former life, she has learned what it takes to survive alone in the wilderness. But she can afford no mistakes. When she first spies the young woman in the woods, she is afraid. Yet Cora is fearless, and their paths are destined to cross.
Deep among the cedars, Cora and Agnes find a fragile place of safety. But when Agnes's past closes in, they are confronted with the dangerous price of freedom--and of love....
Having read Eleanor Shearer's captivating debut, River Sing Me Home, I was so grateful when Caitlin Raynor from Headline offered me a GIFTED proof copy of her second novel, Fireflies In Winter, to read and review.
It did not disappoint, and its evocative prose, immersive storytelling, and layered characters are evidence of a writer consolidating and honing her already impressive literary powers.
It's an incredibly moving story about two 18th century women fighting for love and survival in the Nova Scotian forest wilderness: Cora, a free slave who has come to Nova Scotia from Jamaica, living with the Maroon community; and Agnes, a slave who has run away and is hiding to avoid recapture.
It's a story which reveals itself in layers as it slips between the present and the past. This slow emergence of the full story layer, by layer, is matched by a cast of brilliantly rendered, multi-layered, complex characters which inhabit your brain. You find yourself thinking about them, about their personal histories, their motivations, and the choices they make. I was especially fond of quiet, slow-to-trust Agnes; the open, gentle, sensitive Cora; and the honest, decent and loyal Thursday.
I was similarly impressed by the sense of place within the novel. Shearer's lyrically descriptive prose sharply and vividly evokes the unforgiving beauty and danger of the forest wilderness, and the freezing winter conditions which Cora and Agnes experience: you can practically feel your fingers tingle with the cold, and nip of the frost on your face as you're reading it, so powerful are her descriptions, and their engagement of your senses.
As the story unfolds in this beautifully-written, absorbing, and powerful story, the author explores several different definitions of freedom and choice through her characters and their individual situations, and exposes even more cruel and brutal facets of slavery, and the contradictions, hypocrisies and consequences of its Abolition.
Before reading this novel I had no idea about the Maroon community in Canada, and their subsequent relocation to Sierra Leone, and it has prompted me to find out more.
The novel also explores themes of love, betrayal and survival, but, above all, it's a powerful story about love between two women who risk everything to be together, and the quiet power of hope.
Out on 10th February in the UK, this is a novel that I recommend wholeheartedly to anyone who loves historical fiction with heart.
4.25 stars
Agnes is in hiding. On the run from her former life, she has learned what it takes to survive alone in the wilderness. But she can afford no mistakes. When she first spies the young woman in the woods, she is afraid. Yet Cora is fearless, and their paths are destined to cross.
Deep among the cedars, Cora and Agnes find a fragile place of safety. But when Agnes's past closes in, they are confronted with the dangerous price of freedom--and of love....
Having read Eleanor Shearer's captivating debut, River Sing Me Home, I was so grateful when Caitlin Raynor from Headline offered me a GIFTED proof copy of her second novel, Fireflies In Winter, to read and review.
It did not disappoint, and its evocative prose, immersive storytelling, and layered characters are evidence of a writer consolidating and honing her already impressive literary powers.
It's an incredibly moving story about two 18th century women fighting for love and survival in the Nova Scotian forest wilderness: Cora, a free slave who has come to Nova Scotia from Jamaica, living with the Maroon community; and Agnes, a slave who has run away and is hiding to avoid recapture.
It's a story which reveals itself in layers as it slips between the present and the past. This slow emergence of the full story layer, by layer, is matched by a cast of brilliantly rendered, multi-layered, complex characters which inhabit your brain. You find yourself thinking about them, about their personal histories, their motivations, and the choices they make. I was especially fond of quiet, slow-to-trust Agnes; the open, gentle, sensitive Cora; and the honest, decent and loyal Thursday.
I was similarly impressed by the sense of place within the novel. Shearer's lyrically descriptive prose sharply and vividly evokes the unforgiving beauty and danger of the forest wilderness, and the freezing winter conditions which Cora and Agnes experience: you can practically feel your fingers tingle with the cold, and nip of the frost on your face as you're reading it, so powerful are her descriptions, and their engagement of your senses.
As the story unfolds in this beautifully-written, absorbing, and powerful story, the author explores several different definitions of freedom and choice through her characters and their individual situations, and exposes even more cruel and brutal facets of slavery, and the contradictions, hypocrisies and consequences of its Abolition.
Before reading this novel I had no idea about the Maroon community in Canada, and their subsequent relocation to Sierra Leone, and it has prompted me to find out more.
The novel also explores themes of love, betrayal and survival, but, above all, it's a powerful story about love between two women who risk everything to be together, and the quiet power of hope.
Out on 10th February in the UK, this is a novel that I recommend wholeheartedly to anyone who loves historical fiction with heart.
4.25 stars
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December 11, 2025Thank you to Berkley and the author for the free advanced reading copy of this book.
This book is about Cora, an orphan newly arrived from Trelawny Town in Jamaica, to a settlement of free African immigrants, called "Maroons," to Nova Scotia. She arrives with her community, notably mother-figure Leah (who took care of her when her own mother died in childbirth), and Benjamin (her late friend Elsy's son, who she has taken care of since her passing). She meets Agnes in the woods, even after her new friend Thursday warns Cora to stay out of the woods, and begins her own coming-of-age journey.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Shearer created such gentle, brave, and curious characters in Cora and Agnes especially. Honorable mention to Patience the dog, for being loyal and showing courage in every moment she was on page too. The mystery of the trial interspersed between chapters of the seasons in Nova Scotia were compelling and the way it came to a close in the final pages were very satisfying.
Shearer's writing is so beautiful. I highlighted so much of this book, and I appreciated being led through Cora's ruminations on her sexual orientation, her feelings towards Agnes specifically, and her grief of the previous chapters of her life. We receive the big reveals the same time as Cora, so we are alongside her for her rage and her pain. I don't want to say more because I will spoil the story, but I do want to say that I cried towards the end, as Cora reflects on the crossroads ahead of her, and what it means for the people she loves: Leah, Benjamin, Agnes, Thursday; and the life she's known.
Choice is not something that Cora's people were given too often, and I have to respect and admire that she made the choice that made sense for her, regardless of how much grief and loss comes with it. <3 (There's always a cost, even for the things that help us live our most authentic and happiest lives, and that's okay. What a bittersweet rumination on the brevity but beauty of the human experience.)
I can only imagine the terror and the uncertainty life in 1797 could be for a Black woman, regardless of "freedom status." Shearer absolutely magnifies the gravity of that in every Black characters' plight in this narrative. However, what Shearer mentioned in the ending author's note is so important too: "All I can say in response is that our imaginations have failed us if we think the queer people who came before us never experienced joy. We should not forget that they were demonized and punished. But we should also not forget that, sometimes, they simply loved."
I highly recommend this to historical fiction readers, and I think it would make a great book club choice as well.
This book is about Cora, an orphan newly arrived from Trelawny Town in Jamaica, to a settlement of free African immigrants, called "Maroons," to Nova Scotia. She arrives with her community, notably mother-figure Leah (who took care of her when her own mother died in childbirth), and Benjamin (her late friend Elsy's son, who she has taken care of since her passing). She meets Agnes in the woods, even after her new friend Thursday warns Cora to stay out of the woods, and begins her own coming-of-age journey.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Shearer created such gentle, brave, and curious characters in Cora and Agnes especially. Honorable mention to Patience the dog, for being loyal and showing courage in every moment she was on page too. The mystery of the trial interspersed between chapters of the seasons in Nova Scotia were compelling and the way it came to a close in the final pages were very satisfying.
Shearer's writing is so beautiful. I highlighted so much of this book, and I appreciated being led through Cora's ruminations on her sexual orientation, her feelings towards Agnes specifically, and her grief of the previous chapters of her life. We receive the big reveals the same time as Cora, so we are alongside her for her rage and her pain. I don't want to say more because I will spoil the story, but I do want to say that I cried towards the end, as Cora reflects on the crossroads ahead of her, and what it means for the people she loves: Leah, Benjamin, Agnes, Thursday; and the life she's known.
Choice is not something that Cora's people were given too often, and I have to respect and admire that she made the choice that made sense for her, regardless of how much grief and loss comes with it. <3 (There's always a cost, even for the things that help us live our most authentic and happiest lives, and that's okay. What a bittersweet rumination on the brevity but beauty of the human experience.)
I can only imagine the terror and the uncertainty life in 1797 could be for a Black woman, regardless of "freedom status." Shearer absolutely magnifies the gravity of that in every Black characters' plight in this narrative. However, what Shearer mentioned in the ending author's note is so important too: "All I can say in response is that our imaginations have failed us if we think the queer people who came before us never experienced joy. We should not forget that they were demonized and punished. But we should also not forget that, sometimes, they simply loved."
I highly recommend this to historical fiction readers, and I think it would make a great book club choice as well.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fireflies in Winter is a tale of survival in the wilderness, identity, acceptance, and finding love in an unsual place and circumstance.
It's about two young women, with different backgrounds and motivations, who come across each other due to some unexpected events in their lives, individually speaking.
It's a slow-paced story, very character-driven focused on these two women who, once they've found each other, will unit against common enemies (the wild nature playing a big part here) and slowly surrender to each other.
In my opinion, the biggest hit in this book is the setting. The ambience and the rich descriptions the author provides to the reader. The mountains, the river, the ocean, the whales, the bear, it is all very atmospheric and richly descriptive. I personally felt like I was a distant witness behind these characters and was there soaking up all the richness of that environment.
It's a slowburn of a book, but don't get it wrong: even though there is minimal action, A LOT happens to these characters. It's beautiful to witness them growing together, not only as individuals but also as two misunderstood women - victims of the time period.
There are also chapters focused on a certain trial, that I'd say brings something more threatening and unsettling for these two women.
If you like dogs in books: there is also a lovely dog here. :)
Honestly speaking, I believe this book might be a little divisive in opinions. Whoever has read this author's previous and debut novel, be aware: this new novel is considerably different in pacing, but the topics of family (by blood or not) and self-discovery are present here as well.
I personally adored Shearer's previous novel, but I now prefer this one. Fewer characters and a setting that is very appealing to me.
If I had to come up with something negative about this book, it would be this: I found this book to be a little too short. I wanted more! I wanted to linger as a witness within those woods and keep drinking from these characters' interactions and their self-discovery journey.
I also appreciate the differences and the contrasts the author uses to exemplify one of the main character's former life in Jamaica to her now current living habitat in a snowy and gloomy environment. I thought that was remarkable.
This whole book is exquisite, the writing, the descriptions all of it.
I highly recommend this book to any readers who enjoy slow-paced historical fiction novels. Period. Just...read it!
Thank you, NetGalley and Headline, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
It's about two young women, with different backgrounds and motivations, who come across each other due to some unexpected events in their lives, individually speaking.
It's a slow-paced story, very character-driven focused on these two women who, once they've found each other, will unit against common enemies (the wild nature playing a big part here) and slowly surrender to each other.
In my opinion, the biggest hit in this book is the setting. The ambience and the rich descriptions the author provides to the reader. The mountains, the river, the ocean, the whales, the bear, it is all very atmospheric and richly descriptive. I personally felt like I was a distant witness behind these characters and was there soaking up all the richness of that environment.
It's a slowburn of a book, but don't get it wrong: even though there is minimal action, A LOT happens to these characters. It's beautiful to witness them growing together, not only as individuals but also as two misunderstood women - victims of the time period.
There are also chapters focused on a certain trial, that I'd say brings something more threatening and unsettling for these two women.
If you like dogs in books: there is also a lovely dog here. :)
Honestly speaking, I believe this book might be a little divisive in opinions. Whoever has read this author's previous and debut novel, be aware: this new novel is considerably different in pacing, but the topics of family (by blood or not) and self-discovery are present here as well.
I personally adored Shearer's previous novel, but I now prefer this one. Fewer characters and a setting that is very appealing to me.
If I had to come up with something negative about this book, it would be this: I found this book to be a little too short. I wanted more! I wanted to linger as a witness within those woods and keep drinking from these characters' interactions and their self-discovery journey.
I also appreciate the differences and the contrasts the author uses to exemplify one of the main character's former life in Jamaica to her now current living habitat in a snowy and gloomy environment. I thought that was remarkable.
This whole book is exquisite, the writing, the descriptions all of it.
I highly recommend this book to any readers who enjoy slow-paced historical fiction novels. Period. Just...read it!
Thank you, NetGalley and Headline, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
October 10, 2025
This story finds us in Halifax, Nova Scotia with Jamaican Maroons, descendants of escaped African slaves who were resettled in Halifax. Our main character, Cora, was an orphan who was taken in by Leah when her mother died in childbirth.
Cora found the population confusing, for in Jamaica there were only whites, slaves or Maroons. However, in Halifax there were rich whites, poor whites, extremely poor whites, slaves, Maroons and people hovering in between. She was friends with a man named Thursday who was an indentured servant. Thursday warned her to stay off the woodland paths for there were bears and strange stories of other things, too.
She longed for her mother and sometimes felt her presence in the trees. This drew her into the woods to where her friend, Thursday, had cautioned her to avoid. She stumbled upon a dead moose, partially skinned, and heard a voice call out to her to stop. There was a girl with a bow and arrow pointed at her, warning her. The girl sent her in the direction she needed to go to return home, somehow knowing where she came from.
When Cora was back home she only said she had been walking, for the hidden girl in the forest was hers alone.
Agnes is revealed as the mystery girl, along with her dog, Patience. Eventually, Cora joins Agnes as they travel from campsite to campsite, sleeping at night in a wikuom, a lean-to shelter, battling the freezing elements, working their own traps, fishing, managing any and all the different ways to survive. They knew the seasons and the joys found in each one.
Something I found special in this book was when Cora questioned what Agnes was to herself. She was a friend, a sister, but also something else. What she felt for Agnes was love, a love which was reciprocated.
I really enjoyed this book, although I struggled at first because of how different everything was, from the many different terms and descriptions, the labels and statuses of individuals. I ended up becoming upset and emotionally involved when Agnes was on trial, something you’ll have to read to understand.
My thanks to Berkeley Publishing and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
Cora found the population confusing, for in Jamaica there were only whites, slaves or Maroons. However, in Halifax there were rich whites, poor whites, extremely poor whites, slaves, Maroons and people hovering in between. She was friends with a man named Thursday who was an indentured servant. Thursday warned her to stay off the woodland paths for there were bears and strange stories of other things, too.
She longed for her mother and sometimes felt her presence in the trees. This drew her into the woods to where her friend, Thursday, had cautioned her to avoid. She stumbled upon a dead moose, partially skinned, and heard a voice call out to her to stop. There was a girl with a bow and arrow pointed at her, warning her. The girl sent her in the direction she needed to go to return home, somehow knowing where she came from.
When Cora was back home she only said she had been walking, for the hidden girl in the forest was hers alone.
Agnes is revealed as the mystery girl, along with her dog, Patience. Eventually, Cora joins Agnes as they travel from campsite to campsite, sleeping at night in a wikuom, a lean-to shelter, battling the freezing elements, working their own traps, fishing, managing any and all the different ways to survive. They knew the seasons and the joys found in each one.
Something I found special in this book was when Cora questioned what Agnes was to herself. She was a friend, a sister, but also something else. What she felt for Agnes was love, a love which was reciprocated.
I really enjoyed this book, although I struggled at first because of how different everything was, from the many different terms and descriptions, the labels and statuses of individuals. I ended up becoming upset and emotionally involved when Agnes was on trial, something you’ll have to read to understand.
My thanks to Berkeley Publishing and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
October 10, 2025
This story finds us in Halifax, Nova Scotia with Jamaican Maroons, descendants of escaped African slaves who were resettled in Halifax. Our main character, Cora, was an orphan who was taken in by Leah when her mother died in childbirth.
Cora found the population confusing, for in Jamaica there were only whites, slaves or Maroons. However, in Halifax there were rich whites, poor whites, extremely poor whites, slaves, Maroons and people hovering in between. She was friends with a man named Thursday who was an indentured servant. Thursday warned her to stay off the woodland paths for there were bears and strange stories of other things, too.
She longed for her mother and sometimes felt her presence in the trees. This drew her into the woods to where her friend, Thursday, had cautioned her to avoid. She stumbled upon a dead moose, partially skinned, and heard a voice call out to her to stop. There was a girl with a bow and arrow pointed at her, warning her. The girl sent her in the direction she needed to go to return home, somehow knowing where she came from.
When Cora was back home she only said she had been walking, for the hidden girl in the forest was hers alone.
Agnes is revealed as the mystery girl, along with her dog, Patience. Eventually, Cora joins Agnes as they travel from campsite to campsite, sleeping at night in a wikuom, a lean-to shelter, battling the freezing elements, working their own traps, fishing, managing any and all the different ways to survive. They knew the seasons and the joys found in each one.
Something I found special in this book was when Cora questioned what Agnes was to herself. She was a friend, a sister, but also something else. What she felt for Agnes was love, a love which was reciprocated.
I really enjoyed this book, although I struggled at first because of how different everything was, from the many different terms and descriptions, the labels and statuses of individuals. I ended up becoming upset and emotionally involved when Agnes was on trial, something you’ll have to read to understand.
My thanks to Berkeley Publishing and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
Cora found the population confusing, for in Jamaica there were only whites, slaves or Maroons. However, in Halifax there were rich whites, poor whites, extremely poor whites, slaves, Maroons and people hovering in between. She was friends with a man named Thursday who was an indentured servant. Thursday warned her to stay off the woodland paths for there were bears and strange stories of other things, too.
She longed for her mother and sometimes felt her presence in the trees. This drew her into the woods to where her friend, Thursday, had cautioned her to avoid. She stumbled upon a dead moose, partially skinned, and heard a voice call out to her to stop. There was a girl with a bow and arrow pointed at her, warning her. The girl sent her in the direction she needed to go to return home, somehow knowing where she came from.
When Cora was back home she only said she had been walking, for the hidden girl in the forest was hers alone.
Agnes is revealed as the mystery girl, along with her dog, Patience. Eventually, Cora joins Agnes as they travel from campsite to campsite, sleeping at night in a wikuom, a lean-to shelter, battling the freezing elements, working their own traps, fishing, managing any and all the different ways to survive. They knew the seasons and the joys found in each one.
Something I found special in this book was when Cora questioned what Agnes was to herself. She was a friend, a sister, but also something else. What she felt for Agnes was love, a love which was reciprocated.
I really enjoyed this book, although I struggled at first because of how different everything was, from the many different terms and descriptions, the labels and statuses of individuals. I ended up becoming upset and emotionally involved when Agnes was on trial, something you’ll have to read to understand.
My thanks to Berkeley Publishing and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (rounded up)
"There is a reason Nova Scotia is Ox country; it rewards the plotting, the study, those with thick hides to last the winter, when frost freezes slippery over rock and soil."
We all know what it's like to see something we really want, and then order it without trying it on. It arrives at our door. We open it. Admire it. Put it on. And damn... it's not the fit we expected. It's not horrible, we can put it on. But it feels strange, and looks wonky. That was this book for me.
A historical fiction read set in the harsh winter of Novia Scotia. (Yes! I'm in.) Toggling between the present and the events leading up to them. (One of my favorite story formats.) Focusing on the story of a Maroon woman who has resettled in a contrasting world, and her found relationship with a runaway slave (Hmmmm. A topic not overly written about. Intriguing.) This book was the something I really wanted!
There is no doubt Eleanor Shearer's writing is beautiful. She is able to paint gorgeous landscapes with her words. Frozen, harsh outdoor scenes. Ones that make you feel it. See it. She is also quite polished in pacing. I found it to be smooth and steady.
Unfortunately, that beautiful writing didn't lend itself to the characters. That was where my ill fit came in. The premise was interesting. The writing flowed. But the characters? Bored me to death. Zero connection. I am that reader who needs to dig into these people and cheer them on. I want to know their ins and outs. Their motivations. I want to feel their struggles, their successes, and their growth. I did not experience that here, hence, my uncomfortable feel.
Final thoughts? A wonderfully written, slow moving story that highlights nature and one's quiet peace within it. If you enjoy the stunning atmosphere of the great outdoors, this may be a great fit for you.
My sincere thanks to Eleanor Shearer and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this DRC. I am sharing my reading experience willingly.
"There is a reason Nova Scotia is Ox country; it rewards the plotting, the study, those with thick hides to last the winter, when frost freezes slippery over rock and soil."
We all know what it's like to see something we really want, and then order it without trying it on. It arrives at our door. We open it. Admire it. Put it on. And damn... it's not the fit we expected. It's not horrible, we can put it on. But it feels strange, and looks wonky. That was this book for me.
A historical fiction read set in the harsh winter of Novia Scotia. (Yes! I'm in.) Toggling between the present and the events leading up to them. (One of my favorite story formats.) Focusing on the story of a Maroon woman who has resettled in a contrasting world, and her found relationship with a runaway slave (Hmmmm. A topic not overly written about. Intriguing.) This book was the something I really wanted!
There is no doubt Eleanor Shearer's writing is beautiful. She is able to paint gorgeous landscapes with her words. Frozen, harsh outdoor scenes. Ones that make you feel it. See it. She is also quite polished in pacing. I found it to be smooth and steady.
Unfortunately, that beautiful writing didn't lend itself to the characters. That was where my ill fit came in. The premise was interesting. The writing flowed. But the characters? Bored me to death. Zero connection. I am that reader who needs to dig into these people and cheer them on. I want to know their ins and outs. Their motivations. I want to feel their struggles, their successes, and their growth. I did not experience that here, hence, my uncomfortable feel.
Final thoughts? A wonderfully written, slow moving story that highlights nature and one's quiet peace within it. If you enjoy the stunning atmosphere of the great outdoors, this may be a great fit for you.
My sincere thanks to Eleanor Shearer and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this DRC. I am sharing my reading experience willingly.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A very sweet, tender queer love story set in a little known period of Black history - when the British government forcibly relocated Maroons from Jamaica in the late 18th C to Nova Scotia. It’s a very subtle story on what freedom means - very prescient for our times.
Cora, a Maroon, a free black Jamaican community that escaped slavery and integrated with the indigenous Taino, is part of the forced exodus. Her foster family wants her to marry but Cora wants her freedom. She escapes from time to time to the woods, where she meets Agnes, formerly enslaved but taught by the Mi’Kamq how to survive in the forest. With Agnes, Cora feels free - not only in the joys of learning about nature, but discovering love and its joys. The story is told in alternating POVs and an added mystery at the end rounds out the story that highlights the high price of freedom.
As I wrote above, this is a sweet story - Cora and Agnes are such innocents. I think this sweetness and innocence which bumps up against crassness and greed flows beautifully from the author’s pen. Their need for connection is both poignant and sad - that is, how society decides who can be free or who is acceptable as a human being is do wrong but isn’t something new. This has been going on for centuries and given our current state of affairs, acceptance is still so conditional. This is why books that tell these kinds of stories are important.
I had just recently finished George O’Malley’s The Escapes of David George. David George, a runaway slave reached the Nova Scotia black community, so this book had double resonance for me. I learned a bit about the Nova Scotia community so this helped me in reading - not that you have to read this book (though it’s very good). I had also read the author’s previous book, River Sing Me Home, which also dealt with her Jamaican roots. I know very little about Jamaican history, so historical fiction which brings to light events of the past is so important. Thank you Ms Shearer! Your current book is well done and a fine read.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for allowing me to read this fine ARC.
#FirefliesInWinter
#EleanorShearer
#BerkeleyPublishingGroup
Cora, a Maroon, a free black Jamaican community that escaped slavery and integrated with the indigenous Taino, is part of the forced exodus. Her foster family wants her to marry but Cora wants her freedom. She escapes from time to time to the woods, where she meets Agnes, formerly enslaved but taught by the Mi’Kamq how to survive in the forest. With Agnes, Cora feels free - not only in the joys of learning about nature, but discovering love and its joys. The story is told in alternating POVs and an added mystery at the end rounds out the story that highlights the high price of freedom.
As I wrote above, this is a sweet story - Cora and Agnes are such innocents. I think this sweetness and innocence which bumps up against crassness and greed flows beautifully from the author’s pen. Their need for connection is both poignant and sad - that is, how society decides who can be free or who is acceptable as a human being is do wrong but isn’t something new. This has been going on for centuries and given our current state of affairs, acceptance is still so conditional. This is why books that tell these kinds of stories are important.
I had just recently finished George O’Malley’s The Escapes of David George. David George, a runaway slave reached the Nova Scotia black community, so this book had double resonance for me. I learned a bit about the Nova Scotia community so this helped me in reading - not that you have to read this book (though it’s very good). I had also read the author’s previous book, River Sing Me Home, which also dealt with her Jamaican roots. I know very little about Jamaican history, so historical fiction which brings to light events of the past is so important. Thank you Ms Shearer! Your current book is well done and a fine read.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for allowing me to read this fine ARC.
#FirefliesInWinter
#EleanorShearer
#BerkeleyPublishingGroup
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is one book that the cover did me in. I mean how could you say no? I also loved River Sing Me Home and I was excited to get into this book. Considering that I live in Vermont, I cannot even imagine moving from Jamaica to Nova Scotia. Especially in the winter. Trying to eke out a life in these conditions is a terrifying prospect if you are not prepared. The first few chapters lit a spark in my mind. Needing to know who is on trial, for what, and how did this group of Jamaican's find their way to this corner of the world in 1796. I had not heard of the Maroon's, even though I did live and teach in the Caribbean. I went down a wormhole of discovery. I do wish the book had touched more on them, who they were, and what they accomplished. I loved Cora and her determination to have her own life. To live as she pleased.
The wandering into the woods during the middle of the winter, late in the afternoon, filled me with anxiety. Will Cora become lost, will she come across a bear or a moose, will something happen to her? Cora is at one with the forest. She discovers a young woman, Agnes who lives by herself with her dog. Moving constantly, always wandering, lost in thought, quiet and yet strong. Cora has an instant connection and needs to be near Agnes. To learn her ways, to be able to survive in this environment. I cannot go into too much detail or the entire story will unravel.
This is a slow burn. The characters are strong, their background murky, and the dig to find out what happened in their past is an emotional journey. Slavery in all of its forms is horrifying. Calling someone free and still making them sign a contract so they are your indentured servant is still slavery. It is not freedom. Cora, Agnus, and Thursday are all looking for true freedom. To taste it on their tongues, to a live a life for themselves. What every single person deserves. Thank you to Eleanor Shearer and Berkley Publishing for this read.
The wandering into the woods during the middle of the winter, late in the afternoon, filled me with anxiety. Will Cora become lost, will she come across a bear or a moose, will something happen to her? Cora is at one with the forest. She discovers a young woman, Agnes who lives by herself with her dog. Moving constantly, always wandering, lost in thought, quiet and yet strong. Cora has an instant connection and needs to be near Agnes. To learn her ways, to be able to survive in this environment. I cannot go into too much detail or the entire story will unravel.
This is a slow burn. The characters are strong, their background murky, and the dig to find out what happened in their past is an emotional journey. Slavery in all of its forms is horrifying. Calling someone free and still making them sign a contract so they are your indentured servant is still slavery. It is not freedom. Cora, Agnus, and Thursday are all looking for true freedom. To taste it on their tongues, to a live a life for themselves. What every single person deserves. Thank you to Eleanor Shearer and Berkley Publishing for this read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a slow moving saga set in the 1700s, about the love between two women that are running from their past. Agnes, once a slave, escaped her master after a tragedy with her parents. She now lives off the land with her dog in the woods. She fled from Virginia to Nova Scotia, where she meets Cora, a native of Jamaica, who sees Agnes in the woods one day and strikes up a friendship. There's quite a bit of history here that I was unaware of, when the British forceably relocated the Maroons from Jamaica to Nova Scotia to help in the war effort.
The book goes back and forth between Agnes and Cora's determination to survive the brutal Canadian winter, to a trial where one of them is accused of a crime. The description of the brutal winter is just bone chilling. When one of them falls through the ice and is left for dead, you can't imagine not being in shelter. They both have chances to abandon their wilderness survival class, but don't think they can be together unless they are away from society, which makes for a lonely existence when you just have each other.
It's very well written, with excellent character development and gives you a glimpse into this period of history so that was interesting, but just sad that a relationship between two women could not be accepted back then, or they thought it couldn't, that they had to isolate themselves. But they were happy, so to each his own.
The book goes back and forth between Agnes and Cora's determination to survive the brutal Canadian winter, to a trial where one of them is accused of a crime. The description of the brutal winter is just bone chilling. When one of them falls through the ice and is left for dead, you can't imagine not being in shelter. They both have chances to abandon their wilderness survival class, but don't think they can be together unless they are away from society, which makes for a lonely existence when you just have each other.
It's very well written, with excellent character development and gives you a glimpse into this period of history so that was interesting, but just sad that a relationship between two women could not be accepted back then, or they thought it couldn't, that they had to isolate themselves. But they were happy, so to each his own.
Review of advance copy
💜 Blurb -
1796. Cora, an orphan newly arrived from Jamaica, has never felt cold like this. In the depths of winter, everyone in her community huddles together in their homes to keep warm. So when she sees a shadow slipping through the trees, Cora thinks her eyes are deceiving her. Until she creeps out into the moonlight and finds the tracks in the snow.
Agnes is in hiding. On the run from her former life, she has learned what it takes to survive alone in the wilderness. But she can afford no mistakes. When she first spies the young woman in the woods, she is afraid. Yet Cora is fearless, and their paths are destined to cross.
Deep amongst the cedars, Cora and Agnes find a fragile place of safety. But when Agnes’s past closes in, they are confronted with the dangerous price of freedom—and of love....
🩷 Review -
This was such a beautifully written novel. Historical fiction fans will love it. From the very first page I was hooked and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. It's obvious that the author has done their research for the novel as the attention to detail for the time period was spot on. Also the place settings in the story sounded beautiful. Overall, a brilliant novel that I highly recommend to other readers. I look forward to reading more by the author.
💝 Thank you to Random Things Tours, the author and publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
1796. Cora, an orphan newly arrived from Jamaica, has never felt cold like this. In the depths of winter, everyone in her community huddles together in their homes to keep warm. So when she sees a shadow slipping through the trees, Cora thinks her eyes are deceiving her. Until she creeps out into the moonlight and finds the tracks in the snow.
Agnes is in hiding. On the run from her former life, she has learned what it takes to survive alone in the wilderness. But she can afford no mistakes. When she first spies the young woman in the woods, she is afraid. Yet Cora is fearless, and their paths are destined to cross.
Deep amongst the cedars, Cora and Agnes find a fragile place of safety. But when Agnes’s past closes in, they are confronted with the dangerous price of freedom—and of love....
🩷 Review -
This was such a beautifully written novel. Historical fiction fans will love it. From the very first page I was hooked and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. It's obvious that the author has done their research for the novel as the attention to detail for the time period was spot on. Also the place settings in the story sounded beautiful. Overall, a brilliant novel that I highly recommend to other readers. I look forward to reading more by the author.
💝 Thank you to Random Things Tours, the author and publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fireflies in Winter was a beautifully written story about life in Nova Scotia in late 1700's. The descriptions of life in winter is such an unforgiving place sucked me into the environment and timing was conducive since I was personally living through through a very cold spell in winter. Unfortunately, the story itself left me wanting more. I think maybe the author tried to cover too many subjects, I just never felt invested in Cora, our main character, or the secondary ones.
Cora had come to Nova Scotia from Jamaica as a Maroon, a free Black. The author just brushed over the difference of free and slaves in Jamaica and how turmoil in Jamaica affected the Black population. It obviously affected this group of people who moved, I would have benefited from more info. Once in NS they still had free and Black slaves who feared for their lives or being caught if a runaway.
Life was very tough in winter and after Cora meets Agnes who lives in the forest, she finds out how much she doesn't know about survival. Freedom is the major theme here but also Lesbianism and a little environmentalism. Then there was a strange scene near the end where a white judge goes off to his room at night and obsesses over the man who had been his servant and lover. It really came out of no where and couldn't figure out how that advanced the story.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Cora had come to Nova Scotia from Jamaica as a Maroon, a free Black. The author just brushed over the difference of free and slaves in Jamaica and how turmoil in Jamaica affected the Black population. It obviously affected this group of people who moved, I would have benefited from more info. Once in NS they still had free and Black slaves who feared for their lives or being caught if a runaway.
Life was very tough in winter and after Cora meets Agnes who lives in the forest, she finds out how much she doesn't know about survival. Freedom is the major theme here but also Lesbianism and a little environmentalism. Then there was a strange scene near the end where a white judge goes off to his room at night and obsesses over the man who had been his servant and lover. It really came out of no where and couldn't figure out how that advanced the story.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is an enthralling piece of historical fiction. It’s set in Halifax, Nova Scotia where Cora, an orphaned Maroon, has recently arrived from Jamaica. At this point a quick history lesson. More than 500 Jamaican Maroons, former slaves, were forcibly exiled to Nova Scotia by the British in 1796 after resisting colonial rule in Jamaica. Here endeth the history lesson but it’s fascinating stuff that I was unaware of before reading this but back to the book. This is a slow paced read but I felt this suited both the story and the authors writing style.
Briefly, Cora has an adopted family but she still feels alone until one day she sees someone in the trees. She eventually finds Agnes, a young black girl, who is hiding from her former life and has been living in the woods with her dog. Then when Cora runs from home she runs to Agnes and their friendship blossoms.
Beautifully written, I could almost see the beautiful landscape and feel the biting cold. It’s a dark story and really quite disturbing seeing the terrible barbaric treatment meted out to the slaves in print, albeit already aware of it. A story of forbidden love against a background of hate, prejudice and betrayal. A compelling and enjoyable read.
Briefly, Cora has an adopted family but she still feels alone until one day she sees someone in the trees. She eventually finds Agnes, a young black girl, who is hiding from her former life and has been living in the woods with her dog. Then when Cora runs from home she runs to Agnes and their friendship blossoms.
Beautifully written, I could almost see the beautiful landscape and feel the biting cold. It’s a dark story and really quite disturbing seeing the terrible barbaric treatment meted out to the slaves in print, albeit already aware of it. A story of forbidden love against a background of hate, prejudice and betrayal. A compelling and enjoyable read.
November 26, 2025
thanks to netgalley and berkley publishing group for this advanced reader copy of fireflies in winter.
this book started off VERY slow for me. i was slogging through, not really engaged nor enjoying. and then, bam, the book came together and the second half of the book was perfect. it's excellent historical fiction about slaves from jamaica who end up in nova scotia. the canadian landscape is a cold, brutal and beautiful backdrop to this very difficult tale of slaves and two women (and a fabulous dog) living in fear and grief and off the land in the woods. the book might even be worth reading just for the part where they are in a canoe on the ocean with whales all around them. seriously, this is breathtaking. as the story of the two women and their intimate relationship developed, i found myself appreciating the opportunity to be really inside their lives together and individually. i felt a deeper level of respect and tenderness both for the characters and for all people who are unable to love each other in safety.
this book started off VERY slow for me. i was slogging through, not really engaged nor enjoying. and then, bam, the book came together and the second half of the book was perfect. it's excellent historical fiction about slaves from jamaica who end up in nova scotia. the canadian landscape is a cold, brutal and beautiful backdrop to this very difficult tale of slaves and two women (and a fabulous dog) living in fear and grief and off the land in the woods. the book might even be worth reading just for the part where they are in a canoe on the ocean with whales all around them. seriously, this is breathtaking. as the story of the two women and their intimate relationship developed, i found myself appreciating the opportunity to be really inside their lives together and individually. i felt a deeper level of respect and tenderness both for the characters and for all people who are unable to love each other in safety.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fireflies in Winter is a slow-paced historical novel set in Nova Scotia at the end of the 18th century. Cora is a Maroon, newly arrived from Jamaica and struggling to adjust to the bitter cold of Halifax. When she meets another young Black woman who is surviving alone with her dog in the wilderness, Cora's world is upended. The story moves between Cora and Agnes and their growing relationship and a trial taking place. I knew very little about the Jamaican Maroons and the history of Black people, both free and enslaved, in Nova Scotia, and I wish Shearer had given us more of that history to put the story into more context. I found myself searching for quite a bit of backstory to get more understanding, and while it's great to learn things, I think it could have been woven into the novel for a richer reading experience. The writing is excellent, and Shearer does a great job painting the atmosphere of a harsh winter wilderness. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for a digital review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Rating: 5 stars
You know when you're only about 30 pages into a book and you already know it's one that is going to stick with you? That's how I felt reading this story.
The writing is beautiful and immersive. As a reader you're guided to learn about a history of colonialism and slavery that transcends borders. I'm realizing more and more that I was only taught the barest snippets of history and only the parts that were deemed relevant to my location in the world. But this is a story that goes so far beyond those silos and examines the complexities of the intersections of different communities across the Black diaspora as they come together in Nova Scotia.
And at the heart of it all is a sapphic love story. There's a part from the author's note that made me cry: "All I can say in response is that our imaginations have failed us if we think the queer people who came before us never experienced joy. We should not forget that they were demonized and punished. But we should also not forget that, sometimes, they simply loved."
You know when you're only about 30 pages into a book and you already know it's one that is going to stick with you? That's how I felt reading this story.
The writing is beautiful and immersive. As a reader you're guided to learn about a history of colonialism and slavery that transcends borders. I'm realizing more and more that I was only taught the barest snippets of history and only the parts that were deemed relevant to my location in the world. But this is a story that goes so far beyond those silos and examines the complexities of the intersections of different communities across the Black diaspora as they come together in Nova Scotia.
And at the heart of it all is a sapphic love story. There's a part from the author's note that made me cry: "All I can say in response is that our imaginations have failed us if we think the queer people who came before us never experienced joy. We should not forget that they were demonized and punished. But we should also not forget that, sometimes, they simply loved."
January 6, 2026
Firefly- This is a small slice of the life of black people in Canada post revolutionary war. There are free people, enslaved people and indentured servants. Our main character- Cora is a young free woman who was raised by an escaped slave Leah. Her best friend was killed during an uprising in Jamaica and they emigrate to Halifax along with her friend’s child and ex husband. The boys father Silas, has designs on marrying Cora purely due to proximity . Life for her is fairly comfortable and tranquil. She meets a young woman Agnes while walking in woods- she is fascinated by Agnes who lives on her own, hunting fishing and camping. She has agency over her own life. However, Agnes has many secrets of her own. In companionship they find a forbidden love.
I found the book to beautifully written, but rather slow and mostly uneventful. It’s not an adventure book, nor a love story, its much quieter than either two women finding peace and freedom in the wilderness.
I found the book to beautifully written, but rather slow and mostly uneventful. It’s not an adventure book, nor a love story, its much quieter than either two women finding peace and freedom in the wilderness.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fireflies in Winter is a powerful, beautifully written historical novel that tells the story of Maroons, freed slaves originally from Jamaica, and runaway slaves from the United States both ending up in Nova Scotia due to the War of Independence from Britain. Eleanor Shearer’s novel explores survival, profound loss, resilience, and the bonds that sustain us. The characters are strong and quietly fierce which is needed in order to survive the Canadian cold winters and the unfair challenges that life has brought on them. One strong message in the novel is that often there are no perfect choices and at those times, we must find forgiveness within ourselves and for others. Fireflies in Winter is not an easy read, but it is a deeply rewarding one that I truly enjoyed. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fireflies in the Winter is my first introduction to Eleanor Shearer’s writing, and it certainly left an impression. The novel taught me about a piece of history I was previously unaware of, specifically the 1796 relocation of Jamaica’s Maroon community to Nova Scotia, where they were promised freedom even as the brutal realities of slavery continued elsewhere. This historical context adds meaningful depth to the story.
At the center of the novel are Cora, newly arrived from Jamaica, and Agnes, living in hiding in the Nova Scotian wilderness after escaping slavery. As the novel unfolds, the reader witnesses the gradual development of their relationship. Both women have experienced significant loss and trauma, and both share a deep reluctance to trust others.
The setting is another key strength. Shearer brings the Nova Scotia landscape vividly to life. The environment is both breathtaking and unforgiving, and it mirrors the challenges Cora and Agnes face while they search for safety and belonging.
Themes of love and sacrifice shape the characters’ choices and relationships throughout the novel. Whether through Cora’s search for identity or Agnes’s efforts to protect the fragile life she has built as a runaway slave, Shearer emphasizes the emotional cost of survival and the courage required to pursue freedom.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel and appreciated the historical context it introduced me to. I also valued the way the landscape was built into the story, aligning with the characters’ experiences and struggles.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
#Fireflies in Winter, #EleanorShearer, #NetGalley,
At the center of the novel are Cora, newly arrived from Jamaica, and Agnes, living in hiding in the Nova Scotian wilderness after escaping slavery. As the novel unfolds, the reader witnesses the gradual development of their relationship. Both women have experienced significant loss and trauma, and both share a deep reluctance to trust others.
The setting is another key strength. Shearer brings the Nova Scotia landscape vividly to life. The environment is both breathtaking and unforgiving, and it mirrors the challenges Cora and Agnes face while they search for safety and belonging.
Themes of love and sacrifice shape the characters’ choices and relationships throughout the novel. Whether through Cora’s search for identity or Agnes’s efforts to protect the fragile life she has built as a runaway slave, Shearer emphasizes the emotional cost of survival and the courage required to pursue freedom.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel and appreciated the historical context it introduced me to. I also valued the way the landscape was built into the story, aligning with the characters’ experiences and struggles.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
#Fireflies in Winter, #EleanorShearer, #NetGalley,
November 29, 2025
What does freedome mean to you? We learn that freedom has a different meaning for each character in this book. Eleanor Shearer captures each character's sense of love and freedom. I had not ever read much about people moving from the islands to Canada so this was a new perspective. Shearer created a world where people care for each other in so many ways. Cora feels the need to leave those who she had come to love and finds a new love, one that has been forbidden. Agnes has been hiding out and learned to live on the land. The author writes with beautiful prose, truly bringing out the personalities and deep seeded trauma that each one has suffered. A thoughful book full of grit and the warmth of new love.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Eleanor Shearer has been on my radar since she wrote River Sing Me Home. When I received an ARC for Fireflies in Winter I was excited to finally read a book by this author since I never got around to reading her debut book. Unfortunately this book was too wordy and too slow paced for me. I trudged through it finding the last third better, still not enough to give it a high rating. If you are interested in learning about slavery in Canada you will learn a lot on this topic by reading this book. Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Stories that enlarge my world by telling of peoples and/or experiences new to me are the ones I appreciate most. In this case, the story of Maroons, freed slaves, and runaway slaves ending up in Nova Scotia after the American Civil War was very interesting. Through her dialogue, the individual stories feel true. The tension between the two young women (the main characters) is palpable. The author has created strong characters and the cold Canadian winters to put them in. I didn’t know that the ending even existed in reality.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC to read and review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC to read and review.
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