Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Firelight  By  cover art

Firelight

By: Tobias Wolff
Narrated by: Anthony Heald
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $1.55

Buy for $1.55

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

A mother and her son dream of a life beyond their means in this classic short story by Tobias Wolff.

"Firelight" tells the story of a mother and her son who are spending the afternoon viewing apartments on a chilly day in Seattle, Washington. The two have no intention of renting one - they can only afford to live in a meager boarding house. Nevertheless, they spend every Saturday wandering through apartments and department stores, dreaming of a different life.

On this particular afternoon, their last stop is a beautiful Victorian home - far beyond anything they could ever afford. And for the first time, wishful thoughts blur with harsh reality as the son becomes entranced by the apartment and the life it represents.

©2008 Tobias Wolff (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about Firelight

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    29
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    31
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    26
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

3 stars

This was a pretty decent story about a boy whose mom promises him a nice apartment and they go to look at them but always return to their boarding house.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Firelight

So far this is a confusing story and I am not sure how I feel about it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

If you’re looking for nonstop action

… Tobias Wolfe might not be your guy. Some stories are luckier than others, but his bread and butter are slice-of-life stories with authentic characters. If that’s what you’re after, few do it better.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • AK
  • 02-10-21

Enjoy ease, familiarity of writing, narration

I prefer complicated novels, but Wolff & Heald reel you into familiar places, the lovely and unsatisfactory truth of memory and reflection.

Anthony Heald and Tobias Wolff make a brilliant combination.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wolff at his best

Tobias Wolff writes about university life from an insider's perspective, with sly wit and perfect irony.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful