The #1 New York Times bestseller • Named a Best Book of the Year by People, The Washington Post, Bustle, Esquire, Southern Living, The Daily Beast, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Audible, Goodreads, Library Reads, Book of the Month, Paste, Kirkus Reviews, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and more
“To say I love this book is an understatement. It’s a deep psychological mystery about the power of motherhood, the intensity of teenage love, and the danger of perfection. It moved me to tears.” —Reese Witherspoon
From the bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You and Our Missing Hearts comes a riveting novel that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives.
In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned—from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.
Enter Mia Warren—an enigmatic artist and single mother—who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.
When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town—and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs.
Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood—and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster.
Named a Best Book of the Year by: People, The Washington Post, Bustle, Esquire, Southern Living, The Daily Beast, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Audible, Goodreads, Library Reads, Book of the Month, Paste, Kirkus Reviews, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and more
Featuring
- A legal battle
- Spoiled middle-class family
- Poor decisions
- Nature vs Nurture
The Characters:
- Do not read Little Fires Everywhere for the characters. They are all pretty self-absorbed and are only looking out for their best interests. This is definitely true for Elena and Mia, the matriarchs in their respected families.
- Why is it that so many books have characters who make horrible choices. I suppose a "never takes risks do-gooder" wouldn't be very interesting. Elena taking it upon herself to investigate Mia's past were ruthless and the lengths were unethical. However, the choices Mia made were appalling and contradicted her live and let live mentality. Seriously, agreeing to become a surrogate and then lying to the family, saying you had a miscarriage but then running for the hills with the baby. Not cool Mia.
Adoption Battle
- What I liked most about Little Fires Everywhere was the adoption battle and as to whether it was best for the child to grow up with her biological mother and her culture or the family who could financially (and emotionally) support her. I found the Nature vs Nurture storyline very interesting. As it did make you question the situation.
- Personally, from a cultural standpoint I found the McCulloughs to be ill-equipped to immerse Mirabelle in her Chinese heritage, because eating with chopsticks and watching Hidden Tiger Crouching Dragon isn't going to cut it.
- However, is it right to put a child in a financially precarious situation just for the sake of being with her biological parents? This examination is what got me immersed in Little Fires Everywhere as it kept me thinking throughout the novel's entirety.
Overall, I think Little Fires Everywhere is an excellent, thought-provoking book with a little soap opera drama added in.
This review was originally posted on First Impressions Reviews
Reading updates
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Started reading
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6 March, 2018:
Finished reading
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6 March, 2018:
Reviewed