Signal Fires
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- Create Date：2022-08-27 02:19:39
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Dani Shapiro
- ISBN：0593534727
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Summary
A GRIPPING NEW NOVEL FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF INHERITANCE
One Night。 One Fateful Choice。 A Constellation of Lives Changed Forever。
SIGNAL FIRES opens on a summer night in 1985。 Three teenagers have been drinking。 One of them gets behind the wheel of a car， and， in an instant， everything on Division Street changes。 Each of their lives， and that of Ben Wilf， a young doctor who arrives on the scene， is shattered。 For the Wilf family， the circumstances of that fatal accident will become the deepest kind of secret， one so dangerous it can never be spoken。
On Division Street， time has moved on。 When the Shenkmans arrive—a young couple expecting a baby boy—it is as if the accident never happened。 But when Waldo， the Shenkmans’ brilliant， lonely son who marvels at the beauty of the world and has a native ability to find connections in everything， befriends Dr。 Wilf， now retired and struggling with his wife’s decline， past events come hurtling back in ways no one could ever have foreseen。
In Dani Shapiro’s first work of fiction in fifteen years， she returns to the form that launched her career， with a riveting， deeply felt novel that examines the ties that bind families together—and the secrets that can break them apart。 SIGNAL FIRES is a work of haunting beauty by a masterly storyteller。
One Night。 One Fateful Choice。 A Constellation of Lives Changed Forever。
SIGNAL FIRES opens on a summer night in 1985。 Three teenagers have been drinking。 One of them gets behind the wheel of a car， and， in an instant， everything on Division Street changes。 Each of their lives， and that of Ben Wilf， a young doctor who arrives on the scene， is shattered。 For the Wilf family， the circumstances of that fatal accident will become the deepest kind of secret， one so dangerous it can never be spoken。
On Division Street， time has moved on。 When the Shenkmans arrive—a young couple expecting a baby boy—it is as if the accident never happened。 But when Waldo， the Shenkmans’ brilliant， lonely son who marvels at the beauty of the world and has a native ability to find connections in everything， befriends Dr。 Wilf， now retired and struggling with his wife’s decline， past events come hurtling back in ways no one could ever have foreseen。
In Dani Shapiro’s first work of fiction in fifteen years， she returns to the form that launched her career， with a riveting， deeply felt novel that examines the ties that bind families together—and the secrets that can break them apart。 SIGNAL FIRES is a work of haunting beauty by a masterly storyteller。
Reviews
Tina Culbertson
，
This kept me reading constantly。 I finished this in two days。 You know how some authors can describe characters so will you have a very vivid mental image of what they look like？ Well not only does the author describe them so you can picture them， she builds the flesh and emotion around them。 You can visualize the mannerisms， witness their anxiety and know when they were uncomfortable or when they’re getting ready to explode and anger。 She brings them to life。There is a young boy who is a genius This kept me reading constantly。 I finished this in two days。 You know how some authors can describe characters so will you have a very vivid mental image of what they look like？ Well not only does the author describe them so you can picture them， she builds the flesh and emotion around them。 You can visualize the mannerisms， witness their anxiety and know when they were uncomfortable or when they’re getting ready to explode and anger。 She brings them to life。There is a young boy who is a genius level with an interest in the the stars。 He can't seem to connect with his classmates or his father。 He will become an astrophysicist but he experiences loneliness growing up。 The connections of all the characters -signal fires -link the young boy， the doctor and his family who live across the street， a car accident which takes a life， everything is connected。 As I said， couldn't put this down and would recommend to a fan of Dani Shapiro。 。。。more
Harrison
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3/5An affecting enough novel - and sentimental in a refreshingly unashamed manner - but it creates the intense feeling of being not much new， which I figure is primarily because of how insufficiently the characters are sketched。 The logline emphasizes the tragic event that sets off the emotional undercurrents of the novel， yet I feel like there isn't quite enough of those affected by that event。 Sarah is basically a non-character， and Theo is not much more。 Much of what we get from these charact 3/5An affecting enough novel - and sentimental in a refreshingly unashamed manner - but it creates the intense feeling of being not much new， which I figure is primarily because of how insufficiently the characters are sketched。 The logline emphasizes the tragic event that sets off the emotional undercurrents of the novel， yet I feel like there isn't quite enough of those affected by that event。 Sarah is basically a non-character， and Theo is not much more。 Much of what we get from these characters in particular is told in summary。 There's some amount of focus on Waldo， but for the most part it feels like the characters are too cramped to be effective， and even Waldo doesn't seem to get much。 And I don't know that the scattered intertwined timelines had the intended effect， either。 I'm all for unconventional narrative form， but I just don't think it helped here。 Being an ensemble type of novel， it has the expected messaging about connections between people and whatnot （I just also read A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella， also an upcoming novel， which was of similar form and theme。 I wasn't super impressed by that one either， but I promise I do like this kind of format when it's done well）， and doesn't go terribly beyond that， as I feel like any thematic significance of the initial tragedy and the various other moments of grief was lost due to there just not being enough development of characters' emotions and everything being so hopelessly tangled。 The prose is uniformly beautiful （although there is at times some awkwardness in wording that comes from the third person limited point of view that the author is essentially using as first person） and this skillfulness certainly allows for the novel to often have impact in the moment， crucially including at the end， but in terms of the broader effect and impact， there isn't as much there as I would have hoped。Thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for the eARC 。。。more
Nancy Mijangos
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I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 Ben and Mimi move to the suburbs to begin a charmed life with their children。 Life happens。 Not all of it is charming。The characters are real and the situations are relatable。
Michaela
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If I trust anyone to write the life story of a secret， it is Dani Shapiro。 She follows that secret from birth through all of its repercussions， until its death。 Along the way the people who host it have their ups and downs， but gladly not all downs。 A chronicle of the tragic， beautiful thing we call life。
Elyse Walters
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I could not - could not - COULD NOT - LOVE THIS BOOK MORE！！！I was a crying mess towards the end — End？ I didn’t want it end！No Question about it…。。it’s ABSOLUTELY one of my favorite books of the year — （ selfishly—personally so！！！）There is not one person I wouldn’t recommend this book to。 Other readers might not be feeling as sensitive- about life - as I am at the moment — and perhaps not everyone will feel soooo gratefully moved and blessed for having read it （of course not - I’m not that naïve I could not - could not - COULD NOT - LOVE THIS BOOK MORE！！！I was a crying mess towards the end — End？ I didn’t want it end！No Question about it…。。it’s ABSOLUTELY one of my favorite books of the year — （ selfishly—personally so！！！）There is not one person I wouldn’t recommend this book to。 Other readers might not be feeling as sensitive- about life - as I am at the moment — and perhaps not everyone will feel soooo gratefully moved and blessed for having read it （of course not - I’m not that naïve）— but it is A BEAUTIFUL BOOK！！ >> and I believe there are other readers that will read this book - want to live inside it as I did - never stop reading it （other than to stop and pause to contemplate moving sentences， scenes， or themes that Dani wrote） Every inch of “Signal Fires” was moving — I experienced it with all my senses！！！！ The writing invites deep reflection…。 illuminated by the warmth and delicacy of her prose。 There was an ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ scene where Ben， Dr。 Wilf， got angry at both of his adult kids: Sarah and Theo。 I set the book down and simply looked into the darkness of my room- from my bed at 4am。 …。 （to think about the following excerpt from many points of view） “This is what happens with grown children and their parents。 He’s seen it in his practice。 They begin to take over。 They think they know best。 Meanwhile， where the hell has either of them been—for years now？” A few more non-traditional tidbits to share - rather than a formal proper review: …。Several characters had a hard time sharing their feelings…。。but had plenty of feelings。 For me — this running theme throughout is in itself worthy of discussion。 …。。Waldo Shenkman wasn’t like most - （almost eleven） - other boys …。。 Besides being kind， sweet， and sensitive， He was interested in the universe …。…。。Andromeda， Antlia， Apus， Aquarius， Aquila， Ara，Aries。 。 。 etc。“ Waldo had a brilliant mind。 The journey we take with him， his parents， Dr。 Ben Wilk— （his own coming-of-age tale） —will touch the most common elements of the heart。 Every character is deeply felt …。。 A tragedy is deeply felt …。Family is deeply felt …。The cost of silence and loneliness is deeply felt …Dani has written ‘Signal Fires’ with humanity that transcends time and the experience of living。 Her characters are compelling and true。 And， as the reader， I wanted to heal them all。 A few little excerpts that spoke to me: “Silence didn’t make it go away but instead drove the events of that night or deeply into each of them”。 “The 20th century is coming to an end。 Mimi feels it as a pang of loss。 Years she had her babies， years in which she was a young mother， nursing， singing lullabies， walking them up and down the uneven sidewalks， holding hands， lifting them high on their shoulders。 The years of preschool， grade school， middle school， high school。 Also long gone now， and soon to be relegated to another century entirely“。 “What is left to her？ She rarely lets herself think this way， but something about this day is making her melancholy。 That young family across the street with their new baby is at the beginning of a life that they think will last forever”。 “The stars are watching over us， Lady。 They know where we are。 They’ll find us”。 Dani Shapiro write like an angel！！！！Thank you Netgalley， Knopf Doubleday Publishing …。and a huge ‘hug-of-love’ thanks to Dani Shapiro for writing this book。 It was a pure and personal gift to my soul。 Note: This novel will be published Oct。 18th。 。。。more
Lizzy
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*This was an ARC Goodreads Giveaway*I loved this book。 I loved the writing， I loved the story， even in its heartbreak。 I liked that the story spiraled， and we saw the perspectives of multiple characters in different points of their lives。 It was fascinating to see how the tragedy at the beginning affected all the characters。 On a small note， I always appreciate nods to contemporary Jewish American life， without the story actually being about being Jewish - just small scenes or references that n *This was an ARC Goodreads Giveaway*I loved this book。 I loved the writing， I loved the story， even in its heartbreak。 I liked that the story spiraled， and we saw the perspectives of multiple characters in different points of their lives。 It was fascinating to see how the tragedy at the beginning affected all the characters。 On a small note， I always appreciate nods to contemporary Jewish American life， without the story actually being about being Jewish - just small scenes or references that normalize my culture as a backdrop to life。 。。。more
Diane S ☔
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I've read a few books of non fiction that I enjoyed by this author， but never knew she wrote fiction。 Apparently this is her first fictional work in fifteen years and it's a very character oriented work。One action， one mistake， the effects which will reverberate into the future of those involved。Shapiro takes the reader into the lives of these people in such an indepth way that one feels as if they personally know them。 All their struggles， sorrows， trying to outrun a knowledge they hold deep in I've read a few books of non fiction that I enjoyed by this author， but never knew she wrote fiction。 Apparently this is her first fictional work in fifteen years and it's a very character oriented work。One action， one mistake， the effects which will reverberate into the future of those involved。Shapiro takes the reader into the lives of these people in such an indepth way that one feels as if they personally know them。 All their struggles， sorrows， trying to outrun a knowledge they hold deep inside。 In later life。 Ben Wiff， a physician will have a pivotal effect in another young boys life， Waldo， a young boy whose life he saves。 Waldo is a very different boy， a boy who loves the stars and whose father wishes he was different。 Loved and fell hard for the characters， Ben， Theo and Waldo。 Hard not to take them into ones heart。 A novel of family， memories， space and time， in a very relatable， heartbreaking and heartwarming novel。 Loved it from beginning to end。 。。。more
Lolly K Dandeneau
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via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com/𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆， 𝒂 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒔𝒌𝒚。 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔。 𝑨 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆。 𝑨 𝒇𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔。 𝑨 𝒘𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅。The writing is gorgeous， the pain is instinctive throughout the novel but there is beauty too。 I read through much of this story with a lump in my throat， because what happens to the characters are fears， things you pray or ho via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com/𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆， 𝒂 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒔𝒌𝒚。 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔。 𝑨 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆。 𝑨 𝒇𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔。 𝑨 𝒘𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅。The writing is gorgeous， the pain is instinctive throughout the novel but there is beauty too。 I read through much of this story with a lump in my throat， because what happens to the characters are fears， things you pray or hope never happens to you。 Of course， something else will， you can’t live life pain free and every person alive will feel be affected by the tremors of others choices， not just their own。 It begins in 1985 with siblings Sarah and Theo， and Sarah’s friend Misty driving in a car。 An accident happens， a choice is made that seems innocent enough， but it cannot be erased， not even with Sarah’s best intentions for her little brother at heart。 Under the beauty of the moon and stars， on their quiet street where the ‘good people’ of Avalon are sleeping， screams will reverberate。 Dr。 Benjamin Wilf will rush out into the night to a scene of horror involving his children。 Another mistake will be made， adding further trauma to a secret already born between the siblings。 Secrets become destruction。2010， the same street， Waldo is an intelligent， ten-year-old boy who loves searching the night sky and studying the constellations。 He befriends Dr。 Wilf， just as lonely as the child， and like the stars， connections fire off。 Though the young family aren’t new， they’ve never become friends， efforts weren’t made on either side。 Ben’s family has drifted ever since the night of the accident years ago， and now his beloved wife， Mimi， is slowly losing time， her memory。 I love the writing from her perspective， because every moment she has lived is happening in the now， because of her declining mind， she has a sort of freedom that is like time travel， I guess that’s a good description for it。 It can hurt and it can soothe。 Waldo is a welcome break from Ben’s pain， a delightful child， though it doesn’t say a lot about his parents that the boy is outside at night， no one watching out for him。 It makes him feel protective of the kid and Waldo soaks up the attention Dr。 Wilf provides as the two look at the little contraption he uses to track the stars。 Long ago， when their children were first born， there was so much happiness， promise before the tragedy。 Where are they now？ Sarah was the golden child， Theo the fragile， sweet tender one and it seems as though the family collapsed in on itself。 Sarah and Theo do not speak about what they did， and it becomes a cancer in their future， but Mimi and Ben never wanted to face it either， the shame was a wave that took them under。 It’s an unspoken tragedy， the thing that flipped their happy lives upside down。 Today， Sarah is impulsive， and Theo absent。 The family is fractured， if only they could go back or start fresh。 Waldo’s parents are a mess too， his father Shenkman can’t stomach his son， thinking he is obsessive， fearful of what will become of the boy。 He can’t seem to connect with him， most fathers bond with their son through sports， but Waldo is hopeless， strange。 Alice is gentle with their child， too passive of his oddball ways， Shenkman believes， and this causes serious problems in their marriage。 Alice feels he punishes Waldo needlessly， cruelly。 It’s a house of fear and disconnection， but more than anything， powerlessness。 Something bigger than Ben and Waldo’s friendship will connect the two families。 Mimi might be the one who brings her adult children home， close again。 Is it possible to forgive yourself， or must you remain trapped in the sins of the past？This is a hard review for me because I don’t want to give away the actions and the emotional state each character is in。 Time is indifferent to suffering， it moves forward but pain is tenacious， it makes us push our loved ones away but it also keeps us from allowing ourselves happiness。 We don’t need strangers to shame us， we do a good job of it on our own。 Some people lash out in fear， others hurt themselves， and sometimes we just sabotage our relationships。 As the point of view changes， the reader gains insight into each character’s mindset。 Wouldn’t life be a lot easier if we could know what is going through the mind of our loved one in the moments of their actions？ Instead， we’re left to assume and that leads to disaster。 We also fail to understand that whether we chose to be absent or present， we affect what is happening。 Waldo needs help， but he hates it， it makes him feel foolish。 Those of us with aging parents can understand angry displays and those of us in Waldo’s place can relate to the feeling of emasculation， that time seems to be going in reverse。 Shenkman is easy to dislike， there is a lot to unload， but what parent doesn’t fear their child won’t fit in， will be ostracized， not grow out of their weirdness？ Yes， it can be celebrated， it is what makes an individual， but this is not something Shenkman is open to。 On that same token， there are also families that want their child to be freer， and push for that。 Why does it seem fate plays cat and mouse with our lives， sometimes putting wildly different personalities in one family？ Maybe to teach us something about ourselves？ The story is about how we get tangled up and how we sometimes make a bigger mess in trying to save each other。 It is about acceptance， change， the secrets we keep， the lies we tell ourselves and try to force on others and how easily it all slips out of our control。 Love is at the core， there is hope， disappearing can be a strange cure。An ache that lingers。Publication Date: October 18， 2022KnopfDoubleday Publishing 。。。more
Kim McGee
，
An achingly beautiful story of how a tragic event forever changes the lives of one family and like ripples on a pond， that of the family next door as well。 The Wilf family are like most in this suburb - mom， dad and two teenage kids until a horrible car accident leaves them unmoored。 Next door lives a lonely little boy who can only find peace and understanding by searching the night sky。 These two families are joined in a myriad of ways - a signal fire alerting another to light a signal and so o An achingly beautiful story of how a tragic event forever changes the lives of one family and like ripples on a pond， that of the family next door as well。 The Wilf family are like most in this suburb - mom， dad and two teenage kids until a horrible car accident leaves them unmoored。 Next door lives a lonely little boy who can only find peace and understanding by searching the night sky。 These two families are joined in a myriad of ways - a signal fire alerting another to light a signal and so on。 There are moments of great joy and great sorrow， quiet talks and loud arguments but with an undercurrent of calm searching for answers and redemption。 My words fail to capture how perfect these little bits of stardust fit together to create this corner of the universe。 This is one book you want to read slowly and savor the moments。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
Michael
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This character-driven novel is a fast and engaging read。 It follows two families whose lives intertwine over the course of several years as they navigate trauma and grief。 It's told from the point of view of several different characters and jumps back and forth across the decades， but this doesn't make the plot hard to follow。 Shapiro's writing is elegant， and while the characters aren't always likeable， they're well-developed and very human。 I'd never read any of Shapiro's work before， but when This character-driven novel is a fast and engaging read。 It follows two families whose lives intertwine over the course of several years as they navigate trauma and grief。 It's told from the point of view of several different characters and jumps back and forth across the decades， but this doesn't make the plot hard to follow。 Shapiro's writing is elegant， and while the characters aren't always likeable， they're well-developed and very human。 I'd never read any of Shapiro's work before， but when I saw the synopsis， I was intrigued。 The book did not disappoint。Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway。 。。。more
B。
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I received an ARC of this one。 While it was a quick read， it wasn't my favorite by any stretch of the imagination。 It seemed as though the author was just adding in adjectives for funsies。 Descriptions were， as a result， longer than necessary and paragraphs at a time came off as quite pretentious。 The book was too short to really care about any of the characters。 It came across almost as though the author， like so many these days， was writing with the hopes that it would get picked up for stream I received an ARC of this one。 While it was a quick read， it wasn't my favorite by any stretch of the imagination。 It seemed as though the author was just adding in adjectives for funsies。 Descriptions were， as a result， longer than necessary and paragraphs at a time came off as quite pretentious。 The book was too short to really care about any of the characters。 It came across almost as though the author， like so many these days， was writing with the hopes that it would get picked up for streaming， instead of writing to tell a story。 。。。more
Katie Devine
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THIS MAGICAL NOVEL！ Dani Shapiro pulls off a stunning feat in her first novel in 15 years， moving （seemingly） effortlessly across time and perspectives while intricately and delicately braiding the narratives together into a luminous tapestry。 She proves that writers don't need to sacrifice plot for style or prose for propulsion。 I read this in one delicious reading session， moved to tears and wonder many， many times。 This is a must-read for 2022！！！ THIS MAGICAL NOVEL！ Dani Shapiro pulls off a stunning feat in her first novel in 15 years， moving （seemingly） effortlessly across time and perspectives while intricately and delicately braiding the narratives together into a luminous tapestry。 She proves that writers don't need to sacrifice plot for style or prose for propulsion。 I read this in one delicious reading session， moved to tears and wonder many， many times。 This is a must-read for 2022！！！ 。。。more
Nann
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The Wilfs have lived on Division Street in suburban Avalon since the late 1960's。 Ben is a family physician， Mimi is a community volunteer。 Sarah and Theo are typical suburban teens。 On a summer night in 1985 their universe shifts when Sarah and Theo Wilf cause a deadly car accident。 They survive but they never forget。 Nor does Ben whose effort to save the victim is unsuccessful。 Fourteen years later， on the eve of the new century， Ben again is at the scene of a medical emergency。 Alice Shenkman The Wilfs have lived on Division Street in suburban Avalon since the late 1960's。 Ben is a family physician， Mimi is a community volunteer。 Sarah and Theo are typical suburban teens。 On a summer night in 1985 their universe shifts when Sarah and Theo Wilf cause a deadly car accident。 They survive but they never forget。 Nor does Ben whose effort to save the victim is unsuccessful。 Fourteen years later， on the eve of the new century， Ben again is at the scene of a medical emergency。 Alice Shenkman， the across-the-street neighbor， goes into labor。 Ben gets there before the EMTs and successfully delivers Waldo Shenkman。 Waldo has a tough childhood as a social misfit obsessed with astronomy， completely misunderstood by his hard-driving business exec father。 Waldo finds a friend in Ben and， as Ben was present at Waldo's birth， Waldo is in turn present at Mimi's death。 The story skips adroitly from decade to decade and back again。 The younger generation find their places in the firmament -- Sarah as a Hollywood producer， Theo as a renowned chef， and Waldo as an astrophysicist。 A wise， compassionate， and thoroughly absorbing story。 。。。more
Jamie Holloway
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An intense story， that goes back and forth through out different time periods， all over a family secret that is hurting many different family members。 This is a story about learning to live with guilt and shame over accidents and causing someone else pain。 This feels like this could be a real story about a real family。
Christa
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I give this book 3 stars which means I liked the book but it is likely I wouldn't recommend to someone looking for their next read。 I kept hoping that there would be some happiness somewhere in the book but it just seemed no one was happy， wanting to be happy or resolve anything in their lives。 It became just a sad book and I couldn't wait to just be done with it。 I give this book 3 stars which means I liked the book but it is likely I wouldn't recommend to someone looking for their next read。 I kept hoping that there would be some happiness somewhere in the book but it just seemed no one was happy， wanting to be happy or resolve anything in their lives。 It became just a sad book and I couldn't wait to just be done with it。 。。。more
AndiReads
，
When you read Signal Fires， you will be immersed in a world of interconnectedness。 There won't necessarily be a new character or new idea posited， but the interwovenness of life， of neighbors， community and people will be clear。 In 1985， there is a terrible car accident。 This accident colors lives far into the future as Dani Shapiro includes stories from 1970's， Y2k， and the most recent time， "lockdown。' In each chapter， Shapiro builds on the stories of the families described。 She presents chara When you read Signal Fires， you will be immersed in a world of interconnectedness。 There won't necessarily be a new character or new idea posited， but the interwovenness of life， of neighbors， community and people will be clear。 In 1985， there is a terrible car accident。 This accident colors lives far into the future as Dani Shapiro includes stories from 1970's， Y2k， and the most recent time， "lockdown。' In each chapter， Shapiro builds on the stories of the families described。 She presents characters that you will continue to think of far after you have finished this book。 If you like a complicated family story， engaging and realistic prose or just want a new look at contemporary life， Signal Fires is for you！#Knopf #Doubleday #NetGalley #DaniShapiro #SignalFires 。。。more
Ann Dudzinski
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I wasn’t familiar with this author’s work before I requested this ARC， and I’ve been missing out。 Of course， this is her first novel for fifteen years so perhaps I can be forgiven the oversight。 On a summer night in the mid-1980s， a car crash changes the lives of everyone in the Wilf family and becomes the secret that is never spoken， but festers inside all of them。 In the ensuing years， Dr。 Ben Wilf will question his own medical abilities， his wife Mimi resolutely refuses to acknowledge her ch I wasn’t familiar with this author’s work before I requested this ARC， and I’ve been missing out。 Of course， this is her first novel for fifteen years so perhaps I can be forgiven the oversight。 On a summer night in the mid-1980s， a car crash changes the lives of everyone in the Wilf family and becomes the secret that is never spoken， but festers inside all of them。 In the ensuing years， Dr。 Ben Wilf will question his own medical abilities， his wife Mimi resolutely refuses to acknowledge her children’s culpability， daughter Sarah turns to alcohol to mask her inability to control her life， and Theo， the driver of the car， abandons his family for years to find himself。Several years later， the Schenkman’s move in across the street from Ben and Mimi Wilf。 On a cold New Year’s Eve， Ben is called on to deliver Waldo Schenkman， who makes his first appearance in his parent’s kitchen。 This seemingly random chance will forge a connection between the two families that spans decades， providing healing in the most improbable ways。Flawed characters， poor choices， second chances， and redemption。 Such strong themes in this novel that are treated with compassion and an unflinchingly honest eye。 The story is told in several points of view and isn’t linear， but hops between between 1985 and 2020， touching down to give the reader a taste of what’s happening for that character and those connected with him or her， filling in details naturally and effortlessly。 Several of the characters are deeply flawed， but still presented with such empathy that I wasn’t able to dislike any of them， even though one or two of them I probably would have if they hadn’t been presented with such candor。 In turns heartbreaking and uplifting， I was sad to swipe the last page。Which brings me to my only critical point – I wanted more。 I once had an editor advise me to cut out at least one point of view in a novel that runs about 67，000 words， stating that she didn’t think I got to the heart of the characters enough。 After reading Signal Fires， which runs approximately 60，000 words， I understand her comment。 The story is beautiful and the length of the novel does it justice， but I wanted more time with each of the characters。 Still， it’s definitely worth the read and I’ll be recommending it。4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for providing the ARC ebook。 I’ve left my review honestly and voluntarily。 。。。more
Jen
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I already know SIGNAL FIRES is going to be one of the best novels of 2022 for me and for plenty of reviewers。 It is SO gorgeously written。 It's the story of two families and a neighborhood and the way that time， loss， and love shape us all。 A+ This is one of the rare books that makes me wish I had a bookclub。 I already know SIGNAL FIRES is going to be one of the best novels of 2022 for me and for plenty of reviewers。 It is SO gorgeously written。 It's the story of two families and a neighborhood and the way that time， loss， and love shape us all。 A+ This is one of the rare books that makes me wish I had a bookclub。 。。。more
Karen Kuhn
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I won this book on a GR giveaway and thoroughly enjoyed it。 It is a book about secrets and family dynamics and relationships with people who come into your life briefly or to stay。 Interesting perspective on a child on the autism spectrum （though the phrase is never used） and also on death。 Very interesting。
Dee
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A gripping， intricate story about the power of guilt。 The story moves swiftly between timelines to paint fragmented portraits of characters whose stories all come heartbreakingly together in the end。
Maureen
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This is only my second Dani Shapiro title （after Inheritance） and I am hooked for life。 What a spectacular writer！ She captures families so well - poignant but never sappy。 More please Dani！！
Alexis Priester
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Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for the review copy of Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro，5 whole stars。 I’d give it more if I could。Signal Fires tells the story of The Wilfs and The Shenkmans， two families who live on Division Street and are immeasurably affected and tied together by a tragic car accident that occurred on the quaint suburban block in 1985。 The younger Wilfs， Sarah and Theo， were in the car and thankfully unharmed， but harbor a secret that follows them through adulthood。 Thei Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for the review copy of Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro，5 whole stars。 I’d give it more if I could。Signal Fires tells the story of The Wilfs and The Shenkmans， two families who live on Division Street and are immeasurably affected and tied together by a tragic car accident that occurred on the quaint suburban block in 1985。 The younger Wilfs， Sarah and Theo， were in the car and thankfully unharmed， but harbor a secret that follows them through adulthood。 Their father， Dr。 Ben Wilf， is the first to arrive at the scene， and makes a career damaging mistake。 Decades later， the Shenkmans arrive and unknowingly weave their way into the patterns of the Wilf Family and Division Street。。 When their eccentric and intelligent son Waldo， who loves to study constellations， befriends the elderly Dr。 Wilf， the ties that bind the Wilfs and Shenkmans will get tighter than they could have ever imagined。Signal Fires is the first book I’ve read by Dani Shapiro and if the rest of her work is anything like this， I am certainly on board to read more。 This book took my breath away。 Her writing style is so gorgeous and poetic， without being overly flowery。 I love a novel told from different perspectives and I think Shapiro did a fantastic job expressing each character’s voice/state of mind in their respective chapters。 Mimi， despite her relatively short turn as narrator， really stood out as a pronounced voice in the novel。 I really felt like I was in the mind of an advanced Alzheimer’s/dementia patient in her chapters。 The confusion， the disorientation， the unsteadiness —it was all so real and terrifying， But then there was this strange sense of comfort from Waldo。 It was also particular simple to get into his head and understand his being during Waldo’s turns as narrator。 I could almost hear the germs turning in his head during his chapters。I loved every part of this book。 Even though it hurt， it still felt like a hug。 Maybe that was the point。 。。。more
Shanna
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Beautifully written book that looks at the many aspects tragedies and life。 The characters were so well written， I couldn't help but care for them。 A sad but wonderful read。 Beautifully written book that looks at the many aspects tragedies and life。 The characters were so well written， I couldn't help but care for them。 A sad but wonderful read。 。。。more
Amy Coupe
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Read via Net Galley; Dani Shapiro is a brilliant observer of life and all its intricacies， no matter how painful。
Chantel Worley McCray
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I love when a novel makes me care enough about the characters to cry， and Signal Fires did that。 A hauntingly beautiful story about the lasting trauma of secrets， and our interconnectedness -with each other， the world around us， with the entire universe。 Perfect for fans of Richard Powers。 Coming from Knopf October 2022。
Heidi Sandiford
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The plot starts with a car accident involving minors and a death。 Then the book switches between the past and present to explain how the car crash affected multiple people's lives and how all these factors are connected in life and in death。 Bit too slow moving for me but I'm sure many people will enjoy it。 Well written。 The plot starts with a car accident involving minors and a death。 Then the book switches between the past and present to explain how the car crash affected multiple people's lives and how all these factors are connected in life and in death。 Bit too slow moving for me but I'm sure many people will enjoy it。 Well written。 。。。more
Lorin （paperbackbish）
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This is a short book but don’t be deceived， for it is a heavy one。 It begins with a tragic accident in 1985， and the story proceeds forward （and backward） in time until 2020。 We are introduced to several characters who live in two separate households on the same street， with vastly different lives — the Wilfs and the Shenkmans。 I would not say this story is plot-driven。 It is entirely focused on the characters and how they deal with intense feelings of grief， regret， and loneliness over a 35-yea This is a short book but don’t be deceived， for it is a heavy one。 It begins with a tragic accident in 1985， and the story proceeds forward （and backward） in time until 2020。 We are introduced to several characters who live in two separate households on the same street， with vastly different lives — the Wilfs and the Shenkmans。 I would not say this story is plot-driven。 It is entirely focused on the characters and how they deal with intense feelings of grief， regret， and loneliness over a 35-year period。 Dani Shapiro’s voice is lyrical and poignant， taking her characters through a vast array of highs and lows in such a short span of pages。 I will admit that this book is not what I expected it to be。 I was anticipating “the accident” to play a starring role， but instead I found it to be the subtle undercurrent， the details of which you almost forget。 Instead of focusing on action and consequence， you are asked to contemplate the nature of connections and the concept of time itself。 A beautifully written， unexpected book。 I will say that it didn’t grip me or stir too much emotion in me， but I definitely appreciated the ability to cram so much into this relatively short story。 I loved the relationship between Ben and Waldo， but I think the most stirring moment for me was when Sarah raised her hand。 Definitely pick this up if you’re in the mood for something unique！Thank you to Dani Shapiro， Knopf Doubleday， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC！ 。。。more
Heidi Sandiford
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The plot starts with a car accident involving minors and a death。 Then the book switches between the past and present to explain how the car crash affected multiple people's lives and how all these factors are connected in life and in death。 Bit too slow moving for me but I'm sure many people will enjoy it。 Well written。 The plot starts with a car accident involving minors and a death。 Then the book switches between the past and present to explain how the car crash affected multiple people's lives and how all these factors are connected in life and in death。 Bit too slow moving for me but I'm sure many people will enjoy it。 Well written。 。。。more
Elaine
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Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Signal Fires。When I first started reading， I wasn't sure what to expect。I'm not a fan of multiple perspectives and bouncing timelines but the author made it work。This is the story about the Wilf family， and how their lives are affected by the death of a teenager when the Wilfs' teen daughter and son were involved in。It's also about their neighbors， brilliant yet introverted son Waldo， the difficult relationship he has with his father， and the eventual los Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Signal Fires。When I first started reading， I wasn't sure what to expect。I'm not a fan of multiple perspectives and bouncing timelines but the author made it work。This is the story about the Wilf family， and how their lives are affected by the death of a teenager when the Wilfs' teen daughter and son were involved in。It's also about their neighbors， brilliant yet introverted son Waldo， the difficult relationship he has with his father， and the eventual loss of his mother。It's about how these families lives intersect， connect， and pull away。 And come back to each other again。It's about how one tragedy affects the lives of so many others， and how we deal with it affects how we live with ourselves and the people we love the most; it's about love and loss， and how nobody really dies。 We never really lose anyone。 We're all transformed， by love， death， sorrow， grief， and joy。I love how the author incorporated Waldo's love of astronomy into the bigger picture of love and loss， death and rebirth。The writing is warm， comforting， beautiful。 I just wish the readers had gotten to know Mimi a bit more。 Signal Fires is the first book I've read by this author， but it won't be the last。 。。。more
Lisa Wright
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A lyrical meditation on family and the corrosive effect of silence。 The Wilf family is torn apart by a deadly car accident in which three of them are complicit。 The entire family carries that secret pain and guilt with them for decades。 Across the street and across the years a second family suffers from their own form of silence until Dr。 Wilf unexpectedly crosses Division Street to help。 Brilliant！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Signal Fires
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Signal Fires&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Signal Fires&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0