Heart-warming, thought provoking book.

Tale about 2 different families thought a period of time. How they both live singular life's and yet seem to coincide at vital points through out their time. Both families had their own hidden issues which come to light throughout.

The innocence of one small boy shines, and it is a gift that we should all treasure.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

Dani Shapiro’s ‘Signal Fires’ focuses on two very different families living in affluent suburbia, connected initially by a premature birth. Dr Ben Wilf steps in to deliver Waldo Shenkman, little knowing that they will be reunited on more than one profound occasion in the future. However, before this happens, he, his wife Mimi and their two teenage children, Sarah and Theo, will become keepers of a hideous secret, making an unspoken pact never to speak of it and, in so doing, carrying damaging psychological burdens.
Shapiro writes vividly about family life, the ups and downs, the strains and allegiances. The Wilfs and the Shenkmans become familiar to us in the way that we might expect of characters in an Anne Tyler or Carol Shields novel. There is plenty to enjoy in the author’s exploration of human nature – indeed, I would have liked more on Waldo’s family life as an adult or Sarah’s twins’ internships with their uncle Theo, for example.
The time fluid structure of ‘Signal Fires’ may irritate some readers but I consider it to be its major strength, mirroring key themes in the novel. From boyhood to eminent professor, Waldo highlights his understanding of universal connections – ‘No beginning and no end’ - at several points in the novel whilst Wilf ponders the suggestion that people may bond ‘soul-to-soul’ as he tries to rationalise his relationship with Waldo. It is in the specific exploration of connections between time before, during and after life that the author is a little heavy-handed. It’s clear that this idea is central to the novel and to have it reinforced frequently weakens the impact somewhat of an otherwise engrossing read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage, Chatto & Windus for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I really loved this beautifully written book. The author was able to movingly portray the different loves that exist in families and between those bought together by circumstance. A page turner containing some profound thoughts
Thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book

I really enjoyed Signal Fires and found it moving with well written, believable characters. The story follows the lives of two families, neighbours living across from each other in New York State, and how they become intertwined over the forty years of the story - from 1985 until 2022.

The Wilfs and Shenkmans appear blessed and wealthy but both families have struggles to bear - for the Wilfs' a terrible accident involving the teenage children has repercussions for many years to come and, for the Shenkman's, they struggle to communicate with anger and unhappiness stalking each of them.

A sad, poignant story told beautifully with ultimately hope for the characters we've come to care for. Can highly recommend.

Really enjoyable family story with complex relationships and secrets. It’s American and it did remind me of Celeste Ng. Nice read.

An intriguing book and well written. A tad on the mawkish side, An awfuk lot of characters that felt like the book was jumping around somewhat. There are some very poignant and perceptive observations made, such as "nobody tells you how long it will be before you can see the person as they were before they were sick", That's very astute, Overall though, sadly I didn't totally click with the book although I am glad I read it
2.5/5 stars
Some formatting and layout issues need addressing

This is a beautifully written novel about the consequences of our actions and the meaning of love in the many lives of the significant characters.

It is so carefully constructed, so that the major events in the story resonate and impact upon the characters in a very realistic manner. The author is very bold in the way she allows the characters to grow and change as they age, reflecting as they do, upon their own lives and the lives of those they love. She is not afraid to depict some unpleasant truths along the way and to allow for profound loss. Despite this, solutions are found amid some pretty painful events.

A really super read for the start of 2024.

This was an easy enjoyable read though I found the switching between characters and timeframes unnecessarily complicated at times.

The premise is an interesting one but there is an issue with the pacing, I feel. I found myself drifting off into another sphere and losing the thread of the storyline a couple of times. As a result, I had to go back and read bits again. The non-linearity of the narrative, combined with this, doesn't help. On the plus side, there are some beautiful, melancholic passages, where I felt Shapiro was really in her flow, but these were patchy. As an exploration of character, there are some excellent examples here, and there is much to praise where that's concerned. My grateful thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Wow! What a surprise.
I had of course heard of Dani Shapiro, but had not really considered reading her books a priority until this one showed up on Net Galley. The story outline sounded great, and the story itself was even better.
Clearly a master novelist. The best book that I have read for quite a while.
The treatment of neurodiversity was superb, but so was the treatment of all of the characters.
I would not have thought that such a bunch of different troubled characters could make such an interesting story.
I was riveted to the book, I loved all of the characters, even the ones that weren't 'nice' people.
Now that I have had to rethink my attitude to Dani Shapiro as an author, it is time to find her other books, especially Fugitive Blue which has been on my to read book list for a long time after seeing the recommendation in Nancy Pearl's Now Read This.
Many Thanks to Dani Shapiro for an intensely enjoyable read and to the publisher for an Advance Reader copy for honest review.

An absolutely brilliant novel which is beautifully written. This was my first novel by the author but it definitely won't be my last.

I love Dani Shapiro's writing. Its so prosaic and captivating, when you are reading you completely fall into another world.

I must read the blurbs of books I request to read since I have become more than a little wary of my reactions to the more emotional books. This story has a relatively better ending than some of the others that I have read and was well written, but it had scars that would never heal.
The entire story is told in snapshots. We have multiple voices, none that resemble each other, and each of their distinctive pain is well established by the time the book ends.
To put the narrative in the most linear of chronological placements, and without providing too many spoilers, it begins with a couple moving into a suburban neighbourhood. This couple has two children, and they live in a friendly neighbourhood. One night, an accident ruins changes everything for them. Several years later, a new family moves in across the road and a new uneasy relationship is established, one that is turned this way and that to examine its meaning. Finally, we see where everyone ends up once the dust settles on the latest emotional chaos, and as I mentioned earlier, it was not as depressing as some of these books can be.
The toughest trait that the author managed to carry out was keeping all the people separate. I never doubted whose voice I was following and when. Given the number of people in the plot, it is an achievement.
I would recommend it to fans of complex family dramas without petty issues.
I may not have enjoyed it as much as I hoped to, but I would still try another of the author's works if I get the chance.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I’d describe this book as realistic fiction. The author has done a fantastic job of creating imaginary characters and situations that depict the world and society. The characters focus on themes of growing, self-discovery and confronting personal and social problems.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Thanks to the publisher for the copy. What a gorgeous book! The author has a great gift for characterisation - nuanced, interesting, believable people.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I read "Inhertitance" a couple of years ago and loved it, but this was my first fiction book by Dani Shapiro.

I had heard rave reviews about it but clearly I'm an outlier here. I didn't like the writing, it's chopped in a bad way, and where's the plot? The characters are dysfunctional (not in an interesting way) and the story is just sad.

From now on, I'll stick to Dani's non-fiction books.

Dani Shapiro’s memoir, Inheritance, was one of my favourite reads a few years back, so when I saw she had written a new work of fiction, immediately moved Signal Fires to the top of my ‘TBR’ pile. Having discovered Shapiro’s own family secrets and followed her captivating podcast series of the same name, I anticipated a story peppered with insights informed by her experience, and was not disappointed. She’s the type of author you feel you know; she lets the reader in, in the most gracious way.
The opening scene introduces teenage Sarah and her younger brother Theo who make a bad decision, perhaps a few, on what should have been a fun night out with a friend. Early on we learn that what happened that night changes their life trajectory and has a ripple effect through their otherwise tight-knit family, one that seemed, until then, to have it all.
Set in a safe and well-tended suburb in New York, Dr Benjamin Wilf and his wife Mimi have created for their family what was thought to be the American Dream. But reality bites and the author takes us along a beautifully told, somewhat languid despite the traumatic undertone, journey with the Wilf family and their neighbours, the Shenkmans. Specifically young Waldo Shenkman, an unusual, whimsical child who has his mind firmly fixated on the night sky. Paths cross, coincidences happen, and there are signal fires everywhere.
Set over several decades, the characters grow, revert, remain familiar throughout the narrative.
It is not a harrowing read. Terrible things happen but they are delivered in a gentle style. This has been described as slice-of-life literature, which it is, but more than that it evokes themes and considerations around the secrets we keep, the trauma we hold, and the nature of how we live our lives.
In one scene, which otherwise could be simply heartbreaking, Shapiro writes, “… Ben Wilf has come to believe that we live in loops rather than one straight line; that the air itself is made not only of molecules but of memory; that these loops form an invisible pattern; that past, present and future are a part of this pattern; that our lives intersect for fractions of seconds that are years, centuries, millennia; that nothing ever vanishes.”
Signal Fires is an expertly crafted and relatable story, giving the reader pause for thought and contemplation along the way.

An absolute must-read for 2023. A tender and thoughtful story of two interconnected families, reminiscent of Celeste Ng, SIGNAL FIRES charts the impact of one tragic event over many, many years. Lots of gorgeous prose and deep character development, this is one to savour.

This is an absolutely beautifully written, moving and emotional read. One of the best novels I've read for a while. The Wilfs and the Shenkman families live on Division Street, Avalon , New York and their loves become connected when Ben Wilf, a doctor, delivers and saves the life of Alice Shenkman's baby Waldo. We meet the families over the years from 1985 when an accident involving Ben's children Sarah and Theo consumes the family with guilt for decades to come, to the present day during the pandemic when a 20 year old Waldo travels to LA to reconnect with Ben.
The novel covers many themes including grief and loss, addiction and dementia. It shows how damaging secrets held within families can be and how the trauma and damage can be overcome. It is such a beautifully written and insightful novel and I found the sections about Ben and his wife Mimi extremely moving and emotional. Equally moving is the relationship between Ben and Waldo, the latter a child prodigy, misunderstood by his own father who reaches out to Ben for the love and understanding he so desperately needs. I was completely consumed by this novel over the course of 24 hours and felt privileged to be a part of Ben and Waldo's worlds.
A gorgeous, hopeful and ultimately uplifting novel that I adored and would highly recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Signal Fires: Fires lit to convey messages or serve as beacons, either by light or smoke.

Dani Shapiro writes a tender and haunting novel of the stars, time, grief, love, loss, trauma, the sickness of the soul and the cancer of silence and secrets, set primarily in Avalon, New York. In a narrative that goes back and forth in time, in 1985 teen siblings Theo and Sarah Wilf make a series of fateful decisions that result in a tragic car crash that leaves their passenger dead and will fundamentally alter the trajectory of their lives. Their father, Ben, a kind man and doctor, is aware of his children's culpability, but his ferocious parental love cannot help but be thankful that they, at least, are alive, and his unswerving instinct is to protect them at all costs, but is all too aware that there are some fates children cannot be saved from. From this moment on, the whole family, including his beloved wife, Mimi, commit to silence, a dangerous secret buried deep, that will trap and tear apart the heart of this loving family.

Through the years the crushing disconnections and consequences emerge, such as Theo leaving and not be in contact for 5 years as he strives to find a way to live with himself, finding some element of solace in becoming a much sought after chef in Brooklyn. Sarah, despite being a successful producer living in California with her family, is caught in a heartbreaking crisis fired by an inner need to self destruct, and Ben must learn to live with a Mimi slipping away from them with Alzheimer's. Ben is on the scene helping to deliver Alice Shenkman's baby, Waldo, cementing what will become an unbreakable connection in the future. The lonely Waldo is a boy genius unlike his peers, he can see what others cannot, time collapsing so that past, present and future become one, and is bewitched and obsessed by the magic of the night skies, the stars and the constellations.

This is a beautifully written philosophical novel, brimming with the stars, heart and wisdom, inhabited by characters you cannot help but love and connect with, particularly the wonderful Waldo with his angry father who would prefer a more 'normal' son, rather than the exceptional one he has. This is a captivating read, so very human and compassionate, of memory, secrets, guilt, grief, redemption, family, the signal fires, the answers to be found in the chorus of the inter-connectivity of everything, where it is understood all time is alive, no-one is lost and nothing disappears forever. A glorious book that I recommend highly to everyone! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.