Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro

 

I’ll cut to the chase: Read. This. Book. 

In the bedroom community of Avalon, retired physician Ben Zilf finds his life’s path repeatedly intersects that of his young neighbor, Waldo. Waldo is a boy genius who’s misunderstood at home but finds companionship with Ben. The Wilfs are United by a terrible tragedy they push under the rug that will haunt the (now grown) children for decades. Writing about families without a hint of melodrama is no easy task but Shapiro accomplishes it superbly. Passages worth rereading, not a misplaced word. I cried after I put the book down. A masterpiece.