The Fire-Dwellers (Phoenix Fiction) [Paperback]

Margaret Laurence (Author)

Book Description

Series: Phoenix Fiction | Publication Date: November 15, 1993

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

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A tribute to Margaret Laurence’s talent…authentic freshness of vision and insight.”
–Canadian Forum

“Laurence is the best fiction writer in the Dominion and one of the best in the hemisphere.”
–Atlantic Monthly


From the Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

From the Inside Flap

Stacey MacAindra burns ? to burst through the shadows of her existence to a richer life, to recover some of the passion she can only dimly remember from her past.

The Fire-Dwellers is an extraordinary novel about a woman who has four children, a hard-working but uncommunicative husband, a spinster sister, and an abiding conviction that life has more to offer her than the tedious routine of her days.

Margaret Laurence has given us another unforgettable heroine ? human, compelling, full of poetry, irony and humour. In the telling of her life, Stacey rediscovers for us all the richness of the commonplace, the pain and beauty in being alive, and the secret music that dances in everyone?s soul. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 282 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (November 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226469514
• ISBN-13: 978-0226469515
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,336,408 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Fire-Dwellers by Margaret Laurence: an excellent book, September 27, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Fire-Dwellers (Phoenix Fiction) (Paperback)

I read this book for an independent study, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Margaret Laurence always does an incredible job of creating characters that are very real, and that teach her readers to be empathetic toward other human beings. Stacey MacAindra is no exception. She is an accurate portrayal of an ordinary Canadian woman, wife and mother. Her story draws attention to many of the inner conflicts and challenges that ordinary people face every day that we often ignore or don't notice. The Fire-Dwellers is a very real story, and Margaret Laurence is right on in her description of the emotions and thoughts of Stacey and everyone in Canada who is like Stacey.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Margaret Laurence Recognizes the Extraordinary, February 23, 2001

By 

P. Whyte - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fire-Dwellers (Phoenix Fiction) (Paperback)

Laurence recognizes the plight of married women, raising children and seeking passion. cleverly, the author weaves the story of Stacey as she tries desperately to communicate with her withdrawn husband. Relying on self-talk, and stumbling into an affair, she finally comes to realize that the ordinary life is filled with possibilities.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Fire-Dwellers, April 1, 2004

By 

"jenniferburgessinbrighton" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fire-Dwellers (Paperback)

The Fire-Dwellers has been my introductory novel in the world of Margaret Laurence, and I have to say I'm hooked! The characters in the novel are interesting and dynamic. The book is written in a manner that challanges the reader's preconceptions of dialogue and narrative. A good read.