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Fireworks Every Night

A Novel

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Fireworks Every Night

By: Beth Raymer
Narrated by: Rachel Jacobs
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About this listen

A young woman trapped in a deeply dysfunctional family in the seedy wilds of 1990s South Florida has to make a choice—save her family, or save herself—in this “riveting” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) novel from the acclaimed author of Lay the Favorite.

“Marvelous . . . a hopelessly funny, rueful account of [a] hair-raising childhood . . . a true heroine for tough times.”—People (Book of the Week)

A Jennette McCurdy Book Club Pick

• An Oprah Daily Best Book of the Year

“Florida, we got it all. Motor sports, ribs, beer. You can drive on the sand right on up to the ocean. Fireworks every night.”

That's how twelve-year-old C.C.’s father, who named her after his beloved Canadian Club whiskey, describes the appeal of their new home. The man is a born grifter, a used-car salesman who burned down his dealership in southern Ohio for enough insurance money to set up a life for himself, his wife, and his two young daughters in a place he picked largely at random, because the living seemed easy.

C.C.’s mother is thirty-five going on seventeen, a housewife who just wants to drive a Mustang and hang out at the mall. C.C.’s sister goes from being a sweet, cheerful pre-teen to having a full-on drug addiction and listening only to heavy metal, after enduring forms of abuse within her family. In the midst of this chaos, C.C. is trying to stay afloat and make it out—to achieve some semblance of a stable life in America while coming up against the structural and cultural challenges of growing up in poverty.

This tumultuous coming-of-age novel features an unforgettable protagonist, a character who narrates her life story with dark comedy and compassion for her family, even as she is failed by them. Those failures—and her self-taught methods for succeeding anyway—are the backbone of this surprisingly poignant story about hard bargains, family loyalties, and the grit of a woman determined to create a better life for herself than the one she was born into.

©2023 Beth Raymer (P)2023 Random House Audio
Coming of Age Family Life Literature & Fiction Fiction Witty Tear-jerking Funny Comedy Transportation Young Adult
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Critic reviews

"It’s a hopelessly funny, rueful account of C.C.’s hair-raising childhood . . . Surrounded by a family in free fall, C.C. becomes first a teen basketball star and ultimately a true heroine for tough times.” People

“A riveting coming-of-age story about survival, poverty, and familial love. . . . it captures the vibe of ’90s-era Florida in all its sticky, kitschy glory.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Raymer balances the sadness of her story with terrific humor, deep compassion, and beautiful writing about the natural world—which makes it perfect for cracking open at the end of a long hike.” —Oprah Daily

What listeners say about Fireworks Every Night

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Unexpectedly powerful

This story starts positively, with a young family’s move to Florida and climb out of poverty described in vivid detail. All seems pleasant enough for them, but there is an uneasy anxiety right from the start. Then it all begins to unravel, making you root for the protagonist. Class differences and the complete failure of the American dream are explored. The narration is effective and I really liked the ending.

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