Little Fires Everywhere ★★★★☆

Little Fires Everywhere (Click Here To Buy)

★★★★☆ (4.5 Stars)

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng is a fiction book about family dynamics, morals, and uncovering secrets.

A friend lent this to me on a recommendation.

Mia, an artist, and her daughter Pearl move to Shaker Heights, a planned community all about following rules, especially the Richardson family. Pearl befriends the Richardson children, and Mia eventually starts housekeeping for the Richardsons, intertwining the two families. A Chinese woman who left her child at a fire station when she was temporarily unable to care for her is now fighting to get the child back from a rich couple, friends of the Richardsons, who are pressing for adoption. Mia tries to help the mother, while Mr. Richardson is the lawyer for the opposing side. Mrs. Richardson decides to uncover the secrets of Mia’s past, while each Richardson child keeps secrets of their own.

I went to art school for photography, so the flashback to Mia’s finding of photography, her process, as well as her art school experience I deeply enjoyed.

I think that the court battle would foster a hearty book club discussion about worthiness and motherhood, and there is also a great opportunity to talk about how white privilege shows up in the characters.

This book has also been made into a TV show on Hulu, which you probably know. While I haven’t seen it, what I do know about the small changes they have made make me think the show is slightly better than the book. Thoughts?

Ng has also written Everything I Never Told You, which I can see myself reading at a later date.

If you liked Little Fires Everywhere, I also recommend We Cast A Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin, The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood, When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole, and You by Caroline Kepnes.

Happy reading!

Ms.Bjork

PS I know what you’re thinking, why did the last book you gave 4.5 stars get 5 visual stars but this one only 4? I guess it’s because that book was just a little better, so maybe this was 4.49 and the other was 4.51 - complicated and silly, but 🤷‍♀️