Book review: Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor Shearer
Genre: Historical fiction
Release date: February 10, 2026
Goodreads rating: 3.85
My rating: 4.5
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I was completely swept away by Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor Shearer. I was first drawn to this book because it’s set in Halifax. I love historical fiction set in Canada (by Canadian authors especially) and 18th-century Halifax intrigued me.
The story follows Cora, an orphaned Jamaican Maroon forced to resettle in Nova Scotia in 1796. There, she meets Agnes, a young Black woman living alone in the woods. The novel follows both women as they struggle to build a life for themselves and survive.
I didn’t know much about the history of Jamaican Maroons in Canada going into this story. I learned they were former slaves who fought for their freedom in Jamaica only to be displaced and forced to rebuild their lives in Canada.
I found the writing very immersive. Shearer does a great job transporting you to Halifax and immersing you in its harsh living conditions of the times; it was eye-opening for me to read about the level of danger that the winter months brought.
I also loved the book’s structure. It opens with a trial and keeps circling back to that moment, building suspense.
At its core, this is a story about survival, freedom, identity, feminism and the meaning of home. It’s beautifully written and it sheds light on a complex period in Canadian history.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
More Canadian historical fiction you may enjoy:
When the World Fell Silent by Donna Jones Alward
Set during the Halifax Explosion, this story vividly brings 1917 Halifax to life through heartbreak, hope, and resilience.