The Fire-Dwellers by Margaret Laurence: an excellent book: 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.

"Better to marry than burn, St. Paul said, but he didn't say what to do if you marry and burn."

That one line sums up this book perfectly. It's another story of regret, of looking back on your life and wondering if you made the right decisions, how different your life could be if you'd done things differently, and if it's worth giving up an unhappy, if safe and comfortable, existence for a chance at happiness. It really makes you wonder if any of us really have any idea at all of what would make us truly happy. I think I should definitely look into reading more of her work. ( )