The Fire-dwellers by Margaret Laurence

The Fire-dwellers (Phoenix Fiction S.)

by Margaret Laurence

Convinced that life has more to offer than the tedious routine of her days, Stacey MacAindra yearns to recover some of the passion of her early romance. In this extraordinary novel, Margaret Laurence has given us yet another unforgettable heroine: smart, witty, but overwhelmed by the responsibilities of raising four children and trying to love her overworked husband. The Fire Dwellers helps us to rediscover all the richness of the commonplace, as well as the pain, beauty--and humor--of being alive.

Stacey's state of mind is revealed in a swift-flowing stream of dialogue, reaction, reproach, and nostalgia. . . . [Laurence] is the best fiction writer in the Dominion and one of the best in the hemisphere.--Atlantic

Reviewed by clementine on

5 of 5 stars

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If a painfully-detailed, beautifully-written novel about a dissatisfied housewife in late 60s suburban Vancouver sounds like something that would bore you to tears, do not read this. If you share my interest in narratives about the minutiae of women's domestic lives, particularly in the 60s and 70s, then you will probably enjoy it. The characters are profoundly authentic, Stacey's suburban ennui simply intolerable.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 25 May, 2019: Finished reading
  • 25 May, 2019: Reviewed