Firelight cover art

Firelight

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Firelight

By: Tobias Wolff
Narrated by: Anthony Heald
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £1.99

Buy Now for £1.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

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.
Anthologies Anthologies & Short Stories Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Short Story
All stars
Most relevant
A beautifully written short story told in the first person recalling a snapshot of life when the narrator was young, and sympathetically performed by Anthony Heald. So much is there, despite the short length.
Downloaded f for free from the Audible Plus programme.
Recommended

"I have my own fireplace now."

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