Take a photo of a barcode or cover
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Car accident, Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
There are 6 characters in this book and the story jumps between their perspectives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic
I thoughtvthos was going to be a mystery, based on the blurb. It wasn't, but it was still a good book.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This novel begins on a summer night in 1985 when a tragic accident forever changes the lives of three teenagers & Ben Wilf, a young doctor who witnesses the event. The accident becomes a devastating secret for the Wilf family, one they are unable to confront. As time passes, the Shenkman family moves to Division Street, seemingly unaware of the past. However, their son Waldo, a curious & introspective boy with a unique ability to connect things, befriends the now-retired Dr. Wilf. This friendship brings the long-buried past to the surface, with unexpected consequences for everyone involved.
I felt like the synopsis was/is a little misleading - yes, the accident is an integral part to the story, but it's so much more than that. Not enough to substantiate an 8 hour audiobook, though, IMO. With that said, this book would work for those who enjoy reading about the complexities of family dynamics, hidden trauma, and the profound effects of a life-changing event.
I felt like the synopsis was/is a little misleading - yes, the accident is an integral part to the story, but it's so much more than that. Not enough to substantiate an 8 hour audiobook, though, IMO. With that said, this book would work for those who enjoy reading about the complexities of family dynamics, hidden trauma, and the profound effects of a life-changing event.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Pregnancy
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
[One of the standard questions here is whether the characters are diverse. They’re all Jewish so I put No, so maybe the question should refer to minorities as well as diversity.]
This is a beautiful narrative of two families whose lives are intertwined through the years. If this were a movie it would be called a drama. That said, it’s not melodramatic by any means. It’s very gentle and respectful of the characters - it’s clear the author loves them and forgives them the many problems they cause. Too many things go unsaid for years and the secrets and silence create walls. There’s alcoholism, anger issues, inability to have significant loving relationships.
I loved the descriptions that brought the people to life. Theo in his restaurant having to hide behind a curtain because the eager diners wouldn’t leave him alone. Waldo with his iPad, wishing his dad loved him as he was. Sarah at the moment she realizes she can’t keep silent any longer. The story is told from many perspectives, each character having their own chance to tell the story. It jumps back and forth in time which adds to the complexity.
So far this is the author’s only novel, though her nonfiction interest is in genealogy and creativity. I hope she writes more of these intricate tales.
This is a beautiful narrative of two families whose lives are intertwined through the years. If this were a movie it would be called a drama. That said, it’s not melodramatic by any means. It’s very gentle and respectful of the characters - it’s clear the author loves them and forgives them the many problems they cause. Too many things go unsaid for years and the secrets and silence create walls. There’s alcoholism, anger issues, inability to have significant loving relationships.
I loved the descriptions that brought the people to life. Theo in his restaurant having to hide behind a curtain because the eager diners wouldn’t leave him alone. Waldo with his iPad, wishing his dad loved him as he was. Sarah at the moment she realizes she can’t keep silent any longer. The story is told from many perspectives, each character having their own chance to tell the story. It jumps back and forth in time which adds to the complexity.
So far this is the author’s only novel, though her nonfiction interest is in genealogy and creativity. I hope she writes more of these intricate tales.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Terminal illness, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Car accident, Death of parent
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Sarah and Theo had never talked about it, not once since that August night less than a decade earlier. Now, Sarah sometimes wonders whether talking would have been better. Silence didn't make it go away but instead drove the events of that night more deeply into each of them. Neither of them had ever been able to unsee what they saw, unhear what they heard."
Oh, I absolutely loved this book! The storytelling was brilliantly done, weaving past and present to demonstrate how two very different families can become intertwined. One summer night in 1985, Theo, his elder sister Sarah and her friend Misty go for a drive. There's an accident and Misty dies. The Wilf family never talk about it again but that night and the decisions they all made haunt them for decades afterwards. In 2010, young Waldo Shenkman is trying to find his place among the stars and constellations and avoid his father's disappointment. He and Ben Wilf, now an old man, strike up an unlikely friendship that will comfort them both in years to come.
A family drama, Signal Fires is in turns moving, nostalgic, insightful and reflective. The scene involving young Waldo and Mimi Wilf in the playhouse was just devastating and had me sobbing! I really felt for Waldo's father who struggles to connect with a son he has no idea how to be a parent to - so the frustration with himself comes out as anger towards his son. It's hard to make someone like that appear human, not monstrous, and I think Shapiro has handled it well. Shapiro describes very well what it's like to be born to the wrong parents, in the wrong time, and having to negotiate your way through the world trying to find another person to give you the love you need.
I just couldn't get enough of this story and wanted more and more - but felt very satisfied with ending.
I would recommend Signal Fires to fans of Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane, We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman, and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.
Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an ARC of the paperback version.
Oh, I absolutely loved this book! The storytelling was brilliantly done, weaving past and present to demonstrate how two very different families can become intertwined. One summer night in 1985, Theo, his elder sister Sarah and her friend Misty go for a drive. There's an accident and Misty dies. The Wilf family never talk about it again but that night and the decisions they all made haunt them for decades afterwards. In 2010, young Waldo Shenkman is trying to find his place among the stars and constellations and avoid his father's disappointment. He and Ben Wilf, now an old man, strike up an unlikely friendship that will comfort them both in years to come.
A family drama, Signal Fires is in turns moving, nostalgic, insightful and reflective. The scene involving young Waldo and Mimi Wilf in the playhouse was just devastating and had me sobbing! I really felt for Waldo's father who struggles to connect with a son he has no idea how to be a parent to - so the frustration with himself comes out as anger towards his son. It's hard to make someone like that appear human, not monstrous, and I think Shapiro has handled it well. Shapiro describes very well what it's like to be born to the wrong parents, in the wrong time, and having to negotiate your way through the world trying to find another person to give you the love you need.
I just couldn't get enough of this story and wanted more and more - but felt very satisfied with ending.
I would recommend Signal Fires to fans of Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane, We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman, and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.
Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an ARC of the paperback version.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent
Moderate: Dementia
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Dementia, Death of parent
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Car accident
Moderate: Death of parent