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Rating: 
Summary: The Fire-Dwellers by Margaret Laurence: an excellent book
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Margaret Laurence Recognizes the Extraordinary
Review: 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 cleverly, the author weaves the story of Stacey as she tries desperately to communicate with her withdrawn husband.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.
Rating:
Summary: Margaret Laurence Recognizes the Extraordinary
Review: 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 cleverly, the author weaves the story of Stacey as she tries desperately to communicate with her withdrawn husband.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.
Rating:
Summary: * * * * 1/2
Review: The Diviners and The Stone Angel are both better books from this prolific writer, but if I could, I'd give it 4 1/2, as it is better than most of the books rated at four stars. Laurence has created an emotionally compelling story and a memorable protagonist, Stacey MacAindra. This book is the third in a collection of five that take place in Laurence's fictional prairie city, "Manawaka". It was written in 1969, but it doesn't seem at all dated. Stacey is a mother of four and a wife and it feels as if she could be the woman who lives down the street that you've been meaning to get to know better. She is ordinary, yet unique in her own right and made fascinating by Laurence's observations and revelations. The book examines Stacey when she having an identity crisis, and she reviews her life and her choices with the insight and wisdom only hindsight and true reflection can bring. It is an intelligent book that leaves the reader with a new sense of strength because we've shared and learned in Stacey's journey through the lessons her life has taught her.
Rating:
Summary: The Fire-Dwellers
Review: 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.
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