Signal Fires

Signal Fires (2022) is a contemporary literary novel by Dani Shapiro. It is a metaphysical exploration of time, space, and family. In Signal Fires, the characters learn they are interconnected in profound ways. The novel shifts between different perspectives, making every character a protagonist. It is divided into 11 parts that are set in seven different time periods, from 1970 to 2020. Shapiro’s use of multiple perspectives gives the reader an intimate look into how the past, present, and future combine into one never-ending story.

Dani Shapiro is the author of six novels and four memoirs. Signal Fires is a New York Times bestseller and the winner of the National Jewish Book Award. As of 2022, it is being adapted for television.

Plot Summary

Signal Fires follows two families throughout the years, shifting between past and future present tense. The novel begins in 1985. Siblings Sarah and Theo Wilf are teenagers. Theo struggles through adolescence, but Sarah thrives as an athlete and student with high grades. She encourages her brother to sneak out of the house with her, taking their mother’s car and going on a joy ride with Theo’s crush Misty. Sarah wants Theo to live a little but underestimates his nerves.