Fireflies in Winter

A mesmerising novel of two young women who fight for love, survival and a spark of hope on the edge of the wilderness. From the acclaimed author of the Good Morning America Book Club pick River Sing Me Home. 'Simply luminous. A book to treasure' KATE QUINN, author of The Huntress 'Captivating... A memorable tale of two young women yearning for home and love' CHARMAINE WILKERSON, author of Black Cake 'Eleanor Shearer has a compelling way of taking a chamber in history we think we know already, then leading us through hidden doors' PATRICK GALE, author of A Place Called Winter 'Truly a book for these times; a testament to love, and the indomitable human spirit' CHIKODILI EMELUMADU, author of Dazzling 'Haunting, atmospheric and compelling' JESSICA MOOR, author of Hold Back the Night ------------ Nova Scotia 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 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... 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. Praise for River Sing Me Home: 'A strong and beautiful novel that stares into the face of brutality and the heart of love' Jeanette Winterson 'An intense and absorbing debut' The Sunday Times 'Magnificent... Epic and lyrical, a story about love and the power it brings us' Frank Cottrell-Boyce 'Moving and dynamic' Guardian

Eleanor Shearer is a mixed-race writer and the granddaughter of Windrush generation immigrants. She splits her time between London and Ramsgate. Her debut novel River Sing Me Home sold in 20 territories. It was named as one of Time magazine's 100 Must-Read Books of 2023, was a finalist for the 2024 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Fiction Award, shortlisted for the Grand Prix des Lectrices ELLE 2025 in France and also shortlisted for the Prix Fragonard 2025 in France. It was a Good Morning America Book Club pick, and has been optioned for film by AL Films and BBC Films.