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Keith Mosman: A Long(ish) List of Recent Short Story Collections (0 comment)
May is Short Story Month, so I’ll keep this brief: here is a list of the some of the collections that I’ve read in recent months (even though most of them weren’t officially dedicated to the form)...
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  • Renee Macalino Rutledge: Powell's Q&A: Renee Macalino Rutledge, author of 'One Hundred Percent Me' (0 comment)
  • Kelsey Ford: Celebrate Short Story Month: 7 Recommendations Based on 7 Collections We Love (0 comment)

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Little Fires Everywhere

by Celeste Ng
Little Fires Everywhere

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  • Synopses & Reviews

ISBN13: 9780735224292
ISBN10: 0735224293
Condition: Standard
DustJacket: Standard

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Staff Pick

Set in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere is the story of two families, the upper-class Richardsons and their renters, Mia and Pearl. Ng returns to the themes of her first novel — secrecy, class, privilege, and the intricacies of family life — with mesmerizing results.  Recommended By Mary Jo S., Powells.com

When mysterious artist Mia Warren and her daughter settle in suburban Shaker Heights, Ohio, their lives intersect with the Richardson family. The results are devastating to all. Ng has created a cast of characters who could be shallow stereotypes, but she gives each person a complex inner life that is achingly tender and fundamentally, understandably human. Blinded by good intentions, undone by kindness, and wounded by casual, if unintentional indifference, the Warrens and Richardsons broke my heart. This story of families also speaks ruthlessly to the current social environment, in which so many of us are asking, "How could this possibly have happened?," by illuminating the possible effects of liberal assumptions. Recommended By Kathi K., Powells.com

Ng pitches you headfirst into the deep, complex lives of two very different families who give us an in-depth look at a small town polarized by a young, poor, Chinese mother who is fighting for custody of her baby, who has been adopted by a wealthy white family. The narrative of secrets and ideologies that are exposed is not unlike the current state of society. Recommended By Brianna B., Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

From the bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You, a riveting novel that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives.

"I read Little Fires Everywhere in a single, breathless sitting." – Jodi Picoult

"Witty, wise, and tender. It’s a marvel." – Paula Hawkins

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.

Review

"Fans of novelist Celeste Ng’s debut, Everything I Never Told You, and devotees of her resistance-ready Twitter feed can rejoice…The story drifts effortlessly between characters; each is full and memorable as they coax the novel to its fiery climax. Ng reminds us that action is a choice, and you’ll want to keep reading until the last irreversible actions play out." Bustle

Review

"Totally absorbing, each character drawn so well it makes it impossible to decide whose side you’re on." Marie Claire

Review

"[Ng’s] descriptions are so dead-on you can practically see the Cleveland skyline as you ride shotgun with these characters." Glamour

Review

"Takes unerring aim at upper-middle-class America’s blind spots… a nuanced study of mothers and daughters and the burden of not belonging to our families or our communities." Vogue

Review

"I read Little Fires Everywhere in a single, breathless sitting. With brilliance and beauty, Celeste Ng dissects a microcosm of American society just when we need to see it beneath the microscope: how do questions of race stack up against the comfort of privilege, and what role does that play in parenting? Is motherhood a bond forged by blood, or by love? And perhaps most importantly: do the faults of our past determine what we deserve in the future? Be ready to be wowed by Ng’s writing — and unsettled by the mirror held up to one’s own beliefs." Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and Leaving Time

About the Author

Celeste Ng grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Shaker Heights, Ohio. She attended Harvard University and earned an MFA from the University of Michigan. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband and son.

4.5 6

What Our Readers Are Saying

Share your thoughts on this title!
Average customer rating 4.5 (6 comments)

`
techeditor , January 28, 2022 (view all comments by techeditor)
LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, by my estimation, rates three or four out of five. I’ll give it four. It starts out dull, a book about suburban teenagers. But this book eventually turns out to be about adults, too. So it gets better. It’s hard to say who the main characters are. LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE is a mystery told from the points of view of different characters, both teenagers and adults. Blurbs I read call this book a thriller, but it’s not. I think some people use the words “thriller” and “mystery" interchangeably. LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE is a mystery: Who lit the little fires everywhere? And the phrase ”little fires everywhere" is treated both literally and nonliterally in this book. The story starts out with the fire, then it’s flashback. Different mysteries go on then, all leading up to the fire. The flashback begins with Mia and her teenage daughter who come to Shaker Heights, Ohio with all their belongings fit into their VW Rabbit. (There’s another mystery for you: that VW Rabbit is 20 years old, and they’re still driving it cross country. Really?) The landlady of their apartment they settle in also lives in Shaker Heights in a beautiful home and has four teenagers of her own. If I had to pick the main characters, they would be these six people. Everyone has secrets from one another, and sometimes the secrets are mysteries to the reader, too. Some of the secrets are resolved. My criticism of this book, though, is that I had too many questions in the end.

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Lukas , March 02, 2018 (view all comments by Lukas)
A moving and compelling domestic drama that is as tense as a good thriller. Set in the bland, affluent town of Shaker Heights, the novel brings together several families and scrutinizes their flaws and conflicts. While I agree with one commentator that the book doesn't really tie things up neatly, I don't think that's a problem as, frequently, life does not wrap up neatly. The book explores familiar territory (ennui and unhappiness in the suburbs, a la Updike and Cheever), but finds a fresh perspective and gets away from the white maleness that usually dominates in these narratives. A very strong second book from Celeste Ng.

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BookFreakOut , February 11, 2018 (view all comments by BookFreakOut)
So phenomenal. This stunning story probes at questions of motherhood, artistry, and what it means to live a good life. I appreciated how it raises issues, yet doesn't present one side as morally superior to the other, leaving it up to the reader to wrestle with the question of which argument they support. Chock full of modern issues like adoption, custody battles, surrogacy, racism and abortion, this is sure to become a book club favorite for discussion.

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Tisa , October 18, 2017 (view all comments by Tisa)
It took me more than half of this book to feel its grip, but once the emotions and storyline sucked me in, I was trapped inside the dramatic exploration of family ties and breaks, of freedom and confinement, of truth and lies. If I had teenagers who were willing, I would urge them to read this novel for its realistic portrayal of the struggle to grow up, to face responsibility, to seek help and guidance from trusted adults, and to see a side of adult problems they may not have thought to consider. Similarly, adult readers can find insight into the complex lives and problems of teenagers. Both the teens and the adults make huge mistakes that impact one another or will for the rest of their lives. Throughout the story and to the end, some mistakes are reconciled, but some continue to cause pain. If you're reading this novel now and aren't as involved as you'd like to be, just keep reading.

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Rachel Coker , October 08, 2017 (view all comments by Rachel Coker)
Celeste Ng knows that even the largest, most beautiful house on an idyllic suburban street can harbor fantasies and fears capable of burning down its residents' lives. In "Little Fires Everywhere," she brings to life two families, one large and uber-traditional, the other small and artsy. The teens of each family long for some of the values and comforts of the other. Ultimately, long-held secrets tear them apart, but not before the teens and the mothers of the two families have grown in important ways because of their interactions. This is a compelling, finely drawn novel that touches on adoption, race and suburban conformity.

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writermala , October 07, 2017 (view all comments by writermala)
I did not think that Celeste Ng could write as well as she had written in her debut novel. I'm glad I decided to read "Little Fires Everywhere," her second novel. I could not decide whether to skim through the book as fast as I could or savor every paragraph. The book starts with a fire in the home of the Richardson's who typify the elite suburban life in Shaker Heights. It then goes back and retells what, or should I say who, lit Little Fires Everywhere. The characters of Mr. and Mrs. Richardson and their four children are very well sketched as also their tenants Mia and Pearl. I was in stitches when I read about a prank that the kids played in school and then I was nearly in tears when I read about teenage pregnancy and other issues like surrogate pregnancy, adoption,and subtle racism. This book has it all and is a must read not just for mothers and daughters everywhere but also for any book lover.

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Product Details

ISBN:
9780735224292
Binding:
Hardcover
Publication date:
09/12/2017
Publisher:
PENGUIN PUTNAM TRADE
Pages:
352
Author:
Celeste Ng

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