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Signal Fires

The addictive new novel about secrets and lies from the New York Times bestseller

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Signal Fires

By: Dani Shapiro
Narrated by: Dani Shapiro
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

One night. One fateful choice. A constellation of lives changed forever.


On a summer night in 1985, the lives of three teenagers are shattered by a horrific car crash in which a young woman is killed next to the sprawling oak tree that marks the perimeter of 18 Division Street. For the Wilfs, it will become the deepest kind of family secret, one so dangerous it can never be spoken.

Secrets preside over the neighborhood along with the majestic oak. As we move through the decades, watching this family change and grow, we see how each of them is haunted by what they choose to ignore. Their lives become deeply entwined with the Shenkmans across the street, a couple with their own secrets and a lonely son who is captivated by the stars and a need to break free. As their stories collide in ways they never could have imagined, the past comes hurtling back to Division Street, setting in motion a spellbinding chain of events that will transform both families forever.

Signal Fires is a work of haunting beauty, an exquisite portrait of one family's world, and a testament to the human capacity to experience love and loss. With wry tenderness it shows how we are all connected through time in ways that are at once mysterious and profound.

© Dani Shapiro 2023 (P) Penguin Audio 2023

Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature

Critic reviews

Signal Fires is a great novel, but it's also something rarer: a good novel, one that shines with deep truths about what it is to love someone, lose them, and live on (Alex Preston)
A stunning future classic (LISA TADDEO)
Tender and philosophical
Gripping
Lyrically examines the ways a single event can alter many lives for ever . . . wonderful (Joanne Finney)
Shapiro weaves a compulsive, tender narrative that flits between viewpoints and time frames in its quest for connectivity
A wonderful novel, full of insight and compassion (MARY LAWSON)
Haunting, moving, and propulsive (MEG WOLITZER)
Beautifully written, Dani Shapiro explores time, memory and our human interconnectedness to create a moving portrayal of the ripple effect one event and one person's actions can have on many lives
Beautiful... a family saga, but a book about destiny too, the unavoidable push and pull of choice and chance (Francesca Steele)
All stars
Most relevant
One of the best books I’ve ever read/listened to. Didn’t want it to end.

Amazing

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The story was okay, enjoyable enough without being earth shattering. I found the author’s narration borderline irritating - it’s obviously not her fault that she has a strong lisp, and I can understand the desire to narrate one’s own work, but I honestly think a different professional voice artist/narrator would have served the overall experience better.

Lispy narration distracting, average story

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I really enjoyed all the different relationships. The book reminds us all of the importance of communication and not burying things in. A locked down way

Insightful

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This is a surprise gem of a book. Beautifully read and written. Superb.
I recommend.

Really worth picking up

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Loved it - characters vivid - impact of life events described exceptionally - slow paced but beautifully poignant

1st audible book

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