[3.5 stars]

This was my first time reading Dani Shapiro's fiction (after loving her memoir, Inheritance) and I had a confusing reading experience. While I enjoyed my experience reading the book, I felt like I was missing a strong purpose. The story begins on a summer night in 1985, when 3 teenagers who have been drinking get in a car accident. The story purportedly explores the ripple impacts of this incident and the role of fate and coincidence. But, it took me a long time to see this point. It felt like a hazy background element. For much of the book, I wondered where the story was going despite caring about the characters and enjoying the writing. Finally, I decided the story is actually about the corrosive nature of secrets. I wasn't feeling the emotions I think I was supposed to feel and, if she was truly exploring the ripple effects of a tragic incident on those involved, Mary Beth Keane did it better in Ask Again, Yes. Finally, the story had a bit of "sameness" to it and I don't think it will stand out for me over time.

I enjoyed the characters in this story but there were beautifully written vignettes but I found it to be paced a bit slow for my liking and the plot line was hard to follow.

I really enjoyed this book about family dynamics. It brings home how important communication is and how one mistake can affect so much.

Signal Fires is a book about family and how they deal with the many trials that come during a lifetime. It examines relationships between parents, children and other families in a neighborhood. I would recommend this title.

A teenage accident changes the lives of a family. Shapiro’s compelling story leads the reader through the lives of the protagonists with grace and compassion as they find ways to cope with their tragic secret. Many years after the fateful night, the birth of a neighbour, Waldo, also plays an important role.

Dani Shapiro is such a talent. This is the first time I've read her fiction, and I found SIGNAL FIRES to be beautifully written and deeply moving. I will think about these characters for a long time after finishing this story.

A good book club book as there’s a lot to unpack and discuss but I found this to be a very slow read which only picked up when I was about 70% in.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Actions can haunt people for years. This is true for the Wilf family. In 1985 we find the children of Ben and Mimi Wilf, teens Sarah and Theo, involved in an accident that results in the death of a friend. Ben is a doctor and yet he can’t mend all the family problems.

The Shenkmans have moved into Ben’s neighborhood. They have a precocious son who is a standout character. His name is Waldo and he is fascinated with the cosmos. Waldo is deeply affected by Ben, the kindly physician who seems to understand him in a way his father never could.

The plot jumps around to different times in the family’s saga, giving readers insights into the psyches of the characters. It’s a character-driven book that quietly exposes the imperfections of parents who fail to understand their child and also the long-term ramifications of guilt. Sarah and Theo grow into adulthood and we find their past has clearly shaped who they’ve become.

There are moments of brilliance such as the scenes of Waldo and Ben meeting on the street and Waldo and Mimi hiding in a playground. These stand out as memorable and touching. But most of the interactions do not rise to this high level. That’s not to say there isn’t merit in the small moments because the subtle interplay between the characters contributes to the overall impact. Shapiro underplays the drama, but that can be a sign of good writing because readers are not bashed over the head with conflict. Instead, the plot reveals the subtle revelation of family dynamics at play.

Signal Fires is a novel about what parents will do for and to their children. Dr. Ben Wilf and his wife Mimi have lived at 18 Division Street for years. in 1985 their two children are involved in a car accident outside their home and another teenager dies. Years later Dr. Wilf is called to help deliver a baby boy, Waldo, on the floor of the kitchen in a home across the street. The novels shows how these events impact the children into adulthood. Signal Fires is a sad story of love and parenting. Highly recommended for discussion groups because readers will be left to speculate what they would do to protect their children.

Dani Shapiro is a compelling storyteller in both nonfiction and fiction genres. The characters in Signal Fires leap off the page and haunt the reader’s psyche. Endearing and heartbreaking, this novel is one of her best.

This novel is a slow burn story. While there were definitely parts that I enjoyed and emotionally connected to, I felt that it left me wanting more. Didn't enjoy it as much as I expected to.

Signal Fires is a compelling read with characters that will stay with me. I liked the shifting timeline and thought the book was very well written.

It was an accident. It could have happened to any one of us. Dani Shapiro explored each person's thoughts and feelings as if she was that person. Excellently done.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for this eArc of <i>Signal Fires</i>. All opinions are my own.

I don't know what it is that drew me to </i>Signal Fires</i> or this book; it's generally out of my usual reading genre (I read an intense amount of YA and queer romance lit—not that i'm proud of it, it's just what I tend to gravitate towards). But I am really, truly happy I stumbled upon this book and requested to read it, because Shapiro's prose absolutely blew me away. The storytelling is top notch, and the concept—family secrets, interwoven through time and space and through the stars and then right back across the street again—was gorgeously executed. I would highly recommend this book if you're looking for something that's intense, moving, and touching. Shapiro does not shy away from the hard things, but she also manages to make them beautiful.

I really liked this book. It’s quiet but deep. I loved the prose and how we got to see the story unveiled layer by layer.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Surprised to find myself in the minority on this one, but I found this book SO painfully slow and boring. Forced myself to trudge along to the end.

For Dani Shapiro's many fans, Signal Fires will not disappoint. The novel will pull the reader right in and the twists and turns will keep one engrossed.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this title by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Definitely recommend this book….well thought out plot and found the multiple timelines really enhanced the storytelling. Well developed sympathetic characters too.

Thank you for the chance to preview this title for our independent bookstore. Our bookclub loved reading Inheritance by Dani Shapiro!. So, we were eager to see if we enjoyed her fiction writing as well! Of course, Dani knocked this story out of the park! A beautiful, complicated mystery and family story. I felt so connected to the characters and the outcome of their stories. Gorgeous writing!

Loved all the characters and didn't want this to end! I just totally flew through this. Great story and great characters!