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PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the cover of Eleanor Shearer’s forthcoming novel Fireflies in Winter, out in 2026″I have always loved stories that connect unexpected places,” the author says of the novel’s originsShearer is also the author of River Sing Me Home, a Good Morning America book club selection
Eleanor Shearer has a new book on the horizon.
PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the cover of the author’s forthcoming novel Fireflies in Winter, out next year from Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
The novel is set in 1796 and follows Cora, a Jamaican orphan who has newly arrived in Nova Scotia. Cora and her community try their best against the environment’s harsh elements, but when she notices a shadowy figure in the trees, it leads her to Agnes, a woman running from her previous life, the book’s official synopsis explains.
Eleanor Shearer.
Lucinda Douglas-Menzies
Cora soon learns that she and Agnes were “destined” to meet, and the two women form a strong bond. But when Agnes’ past finally catches up with her, she and Cora are forced to consider what how much they’re willing to risk.
Shearer’s 2023 debut, River Sing Me Home, was a Good Morning America book club selection. Her latest novel is also a return to the historical fiction genre, and was inspired by real-life events.
“I have always loved stories that connect unexpected places, so as soon as I learned about the Jamaica Maroons who left their lush tropical island for the wintery shores of Nova Scotia, I knew I wanted to write about their journey,” Shearer explains.
‘Fireflies in Winter’ by Eleanor Shearer.
Berkley
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“Fireflies in Winter is about the kinds of love that can take root even in rocky soil — a love for the wilderness in all its unforgiving beauty, and a love between two women who risk everything to be together,” the author continues.
“I’m so excited for readers to experience this piece of history,” Shearer adds. “I hope they’re as enthralled by it as I am!”
Fireflies in Winter will be published on Feb. 10, 2026 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.