I liked, but did not love, this book. I admire the tapestry that Shapiro wove over space, time, and families - the fluidity of perspectives was immersive and impressive.

As a reader, you really do get to know each of the individuals in the Wilf and Shenkman families intimately, as they were when they were young, middle aged, and old. I loved the poetic imagery and themes that appeared over and over, strategically placed to show the soul-connnections between some of the characters and how history tends to repeat itself. This is quite an impressive feat for a <300 page book, but it was also one of the drawbacks I found. I think the book could have been even stronger if it was more sprawling, really spending a lot of time with the characters like one of my recent favorites Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow rather than giving short snapshots of their life at different points. It felt almost truncated at times.

Two other gripes I had about the book: It opens with a car crash on Division Street, alluding to the facts that either one of the Wilf children was driving, perhaps while intoxicated, and killed their passenger. This story comes up over and over again throughout the book, but honestly, I didn't feel that it added anything. If you removed it, the everyday struggles and loves and losses of the characters' lives could have made the plot stand on its own anyways.

Second, this is very much the story of two privileged white families. There are zero people of color in the book other than one tokenized Black man in AA at the very end. One of the Wilf granddaughters attends RISD and goes to work for Tom Ford immediately after graduating, and the other is a baker who gets to train with Nancy Silverton in her early 20s. None of the families here are really wanting for anything, economically. I understand that this is a story about emotions and relationships, but reading about so many experiences in a bubble of white privilege can be exhausting.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley.

A family drama about the ties that bind people together and the secrets that tear us apart.

When three teenagers combine drinking and driving the outcome changes all three lives and the lives of the Wilf family forever. Years later, The Shenkmans move to Division Street to start their new family. The two families' lives become intertwined when Ben Wilf responds to the neighbor’s emergency at home and delivers their son, Waldo. Waldo and Ben will forever be connected as the story evolves.

Both heartbreaking and heartwarming, Shapiro is an excellent storyteller and brings each character alive with such detail. A beautiful depiction of how we connect with others during our lives - family, friends, neighbors and spouses. Signal Fires is filled with poignant metaphors for life and insight into dealing with grief and death.

Thank you to Knopf Doubleday and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title.

I enjoyed this from start to finish and each of the characters was sympathetic and touched my heart. We see the connections that people can form and the intersection of lives without intention. Highly recommended.

Holy moly what an absolutely gorgeous novel. SIGNAL FIRES is about a constellation of people, unlikely neighbors, whose lives intersect in ways you would never imagine. It is beautifully written, moving, and will stay with you. The book starts with a shocking event that changes the course of the lives of Theo and Sarah, the children of Ben and Mimi, the family of which the book revolves. But the novel is not about that shocking event, it is about whole lives lived at different parts over a 40 year period. It's a short novel, but packs a huge punch, and it won't be leaving my brain any time soon. I'm so glad I picked it up.

A brilliant story of two neighboring families beautifully told in a non-linear timeline. Shapiro packs so much of their lives into this slim novel.

I have been reading Dani Shapiro for a long time. I don't want to say that I prefer her memoirs to her fiction but I think I do prefer them to this fiction. I felt like everything was a little stilted and oddly opaque for no reason. Waldo was a real character and I liked reading things through his eyes but it really felt like every character was written through a child's eyes. The language was too simplistic, too sparse even when the characters were well into their forties (fifties?) they sounded like children who didn't quite understand the world or themselves. Which, fair enough, they were all adrift in some way but why did they sound like literal children? It was oddly flat and disappointing. The lack of change of tone (Theo and Waldo stood out the most probably due to their unique talents) made it difficult to follow at times. I kept having to turn back to see who was speaking, a child or an elderly man or an angry dad and during which era. I think some editing would have help here.

Major content warning, but not a spoiler: Signal Fires opens with an intense, tragic car accident. This event did not play the role I expected (my own misinterpretation). I expected the drama of family secrets in a small town, instead I got a quieter but touching story about connection, reconnection, and what happens in between for two families.

The narrative swirls through time and perspective. It’s not overly busy, but requires extra attention (so don’t skim!). Two characters especially latched onto my heart and I favored their moments, though different characters will resonate with different readers.

That nonlinear style might be a turn off for some, but Shapiro’s writing really worked for me. I was absorbed despite struggling to focus lately. Plus it’s on the shorter side - perfect for devouring a story on a cold November day.

Signal Fires is a heavy read, but I would recommend if you enjoy emotional, character-driven stories with many POVs.

What I liked best about Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro is that it gives hopeful possibilities to questions that we don't have answers to. The family dynamics portrayed are very real.

Absolutely fantastic book! Every character was well-developed and I really felt for each one, hoping they would find themselves to a happier place. The multiple timelines and points of view were so well done and worked together beautifully.

Loved Shapiro's writing, this is the first of her books I've read but I've had Inheritance on my to-read for so long, will definitely be bumping it up the list after this!

I connected with every character and loved how all characters connected with each other. Dani Shapiro creates a fascinating story about family, relationships and resilience.

Fantastic book. I couldn't put it down and the characters haunted me long after I finished it. Beautiful writing...I read it near the time that my father passed and quoted a portion of the book in my dad's eulogy. I can't wait to read what Dani Shapiro writes next.

Signal Fires is one of those books you just crave to get to. It's something about small town, family life stories that always get me. Dani Shapiro has a way with voice and characters. Signal Fires is one I'm going to remember for a long time.

This beautiful story took hold of my heart immediately. It is magical, deep, and so realistic. As a mom of three little ones, it was a bit painful to read at times. I'm talking about hard truths and several existential crises. It is a big reminder that things can change in an instant. This was a three-day read for me-- I couldn't put it down! Well-developed characters and excellent descriptions. I look forward to reading other works by this author.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this beautifully written novel. A story about two families and the tragedies that tear them apart and bring them together. A story about how one decision alters the course of an entire family and how they cope with the outcome. Interwoven with the story of another family, with a gifted child who doesn’t fit it, who’s father can’t understand and takes out his frustration on his only child. As the story moves forward, we learn more about what makes these people: Benjamin, Sarah, Theo, Shankman and Waldo; move forward and accept what they cannot change. A story about not only forgiving others but most importantly, forgiving ourselves. ❤️

I have always loved Shapiro's work, her fiction and non-fiction, and this book is no exception. As always, her characters are beautifully depicted and her narratives tightly spun and intriguing.

I’m a huge fan of Dani Shapiro’s non-fiction so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read her first work of fiction in fifteen years!

The lives of two families are intertwined in achingly beautiful ways in Signal Fires.
A summer night in 1985 changes the lives of the Wilf family forever when a car carrying three teens collides with a tree on Division Street and a dangerous secret is never discussed after the fatal accident.
As time marches on, the Shenkmans arrive next door and welcome a brilliant but lonely son Waldo who befriends his neighbor, Dr. Ben Wilf.

Years later, Dr. Wilf is retired and struggling with his ailing wife slipping away with Alzheimer's, a distant son, and a daughter long-suffering silently from addiction. One fateful night, young Waldo finds himself on a path that leads him unexpectedly to Mrs. Wilf, who is in desperate need of warmth and forgiveness in the midst of her confusion.

This is a beautiful story that both breaks and warms the heart, exploring human connection, fate, and our place in the universe. Shapiro is a master storyteller, not much more needs to be said!

Thanks to Knopf Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Signal Fires was released on October 18, 2022.

1985 - Sarah throws her brother the keys to drive the last few blocks home. Theo has had a few beers and his inexperience causes him to run into a tree. A neighbor girl suffers a broken neck. Dr. Ben Wilf, whose son was driving, rushes out of his house, moves the girl and realizes his error. Sarah covers for her brother and Mimi, their mother, resolves that the family will never speak of the accident again. Fast forward 25 years, and secrets well kept are never secrets forever.

Shortly after the accident, a new family moves onto the block and Dr. Wilf finds himself delivering their baby. That child, Waldo, is probably on the spectrum - he is also a genius but cannot relate to his father at all. The family situation deteriorates over the years, and Waldo runs away from home.

Mimi Wilf has dementia and the children have talked Dr. Wilf into selling the family home, moving Mimi to a care facility where he will have a small apartment. Mimi leaves home and quickly becomes lost. It is the dead of winter, and could quickly become disastrous for all those involved. How these two individuals stories come together makes for a beautiful, complex story.

𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗦 by Dani Shapiro was a perfect book to read while traveling. The sections were short and it was told from multiple perspectives with multiple timelines. That may sound complicated, but it really wasn’t. I had no trouble keeping track of everything and, at a slim 220 pages, it moved quickly and I enjoyed every minute of my time spent in its pages.⁣⁣
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The book opens with a teenage joy ride ending in a car crash that kills a 16-year old girl, and leaves siblings Sarah and Theo Wilf scarred for life. With more than enough blame to go around, the entire Wilf family is never quite the same. Years later, the young Shenkmans move in across the street from the Wilfs and an unexpected bond develops. What proceeds is the story of these two families, loosely connected by twists of fate.⁣⁣
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𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 is a story of guilt, grief, longing, and both the usual and unusual connections between its characters. It was a compelling read, yet two small things bothered me. First, I wanted to know more about the girl who died and the days immediately after the accident. Second, Shapiro had an underlying message/theme woven into her story; one I really liked…at first. Unfortunately, she used it too often, in too many different situations. For me, it felt heavy-handed, lessening its impact along the way. Never-the-less, as I said at the start, this was a book I very much enjoyed. ⁣⁣
Thanks to @aaknopf for the beautiful finished copy of #SignalFires.

I truly felt this book…beautifully written. This could happen to anyone, at anytime. But what comes after is what makes us unique. Loved it!

"It turns out there are some things you can't outrun."

Dani Shapiro mines the rich lode of family angst in her novel, "Signal Fires." Ben and Mimi Wilf are happily married and live in a suburban town in New York state. They have two children, Sarah and her brother Theo. A tragic car accident will change Sarah and Theo's lives forever, but they are unwilling to talk about their pent-up feelings of guilt, shame, and desolation. Although the siblings try to repress their emotions, they will eventually learn that hiding one's pain does not make it disappear. Meanwhile, the Wilf's neighbors, the Shenkmans, have a son, Waldo, who is out of step with his peers. He is a genius, anti-social, and obsessed with astronomy and physics. The sensitive boy's bitter and hot-tempered dad constantly nags his son to act like other kids, but Waldo is a non-conformist who cannot change, no matter how much his father scolds him.

This is an intensely emotional and poignant work of fiction in which Shapiro traces the trajectory of her characters throughout the years. She moves back and forth in time from 1970-2020, but the events are non-sequential. We get a bird's eye view of these people's experiences, not a sequential unfolding of their lives. This works well, because we are not so caught up in the day-to-day minutiae that we miss the big picture. In each chapter, an omniscient narrator reveals the thoughts of one of the protagonists. There are lyrical scenes about fate, the interconnectedness of all of humanity, and the possibility that a person's spirit may live on even after death.

The author choreographs her intricate and engrossing plot with care. She explores in detail how the Wilfs and Shenkmans deal with adversity, conflict, and grievous loss (alas, they have more than their share of all of these). "Signal Fires" touches on universal themes: the importance of relating honestly and compassionately to ourselves and others; having the courage to seek psychological help when necessary; the nature of the fragile bond between parents and their offspring; how time and our memories affect each of us differently; and the possibility that we can fail miserably, yet somehow achieve redemption. That Shapiro accomplishes so much in a little over two hundred pages is amazing and admirable. It is likely that members of book clubs will embrace this powerful, multilayered, and poetic work of fiction.