Signal Fires My Rating: 4.5
An ancient oak stands beneath the stars on Division Street. Beneath it sit Ben Wilf, a retired doctor, and ten-year-old Waldo Shenkman, a brilliant and lonely boy pointing out his favorite constellations. Waldo doesn’t realize that he and Ben have met before—or that their lives will cross again and again in ways neither could have imagined.
Division Street is a place filled with secrets. An impulsive lie following a tragic childhood event becomes a secret that will haunt the Wilf family for decades. Years later, the Shenkmans move into the neighborhood carrying secrets of their own.
Spanning fifty years, Signal Fires follows these two families as their lives intersect across generations. It’s a story about family, memory, guilt, love, and the way a single moment can continue to shape our lives long after it has passed.
There was one brief scene in this book that I found extremely disturbing and uncomfortable, and I really wish it had been left out. Thankfully, it was short, but it did affect my overall experience with the book.
Other than that, I really enjoyed Signal Fires.
What stood out most to me were the characters. They felt wonderfully real, particularly the male characters, who seemed to come completely alive on the page. There is so much love in this story, but it isn't sentimental or overly sweet. It's complicated, imperfect, and very human.
I especially loved the way the novel explores how something that happens to us in childhood can follow us for decades, quietly influencing who we become and the choices we make. She also does a wonderful job of blending the timelines where everything feels similar even as you realize it is different.
This is a thoughtful, moving story about the connections between people and the lasting echoes of the past. Despite that one scene, the characters and emotional depth made this a memorable read for me..
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