Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

2017
audiobook, fiction

Is there a perfect neighborhood where everyone is happy and living the idyllic life? If you asked Mrs. Richardson she would brag about Shaker Heights where she grew up and raised her own family. It is no surprise that she thrives as a writer for the local newspaper given her propensity to manipulate others for her own benefit. She justifies her actions by convincing herself she’s helping a greater cause, those she deemed as less fortunate.

Little Fires Everywhere introduces us to Mrs. Richardson standing outside in her bathrobe in the middle of the afternoon. If she hadn’t been awake so late interfering in her neighbors’ business she wouldn’t allowed herself to sleep late. She awoke suddenly to the sound of fire engines and made it outside in time to watch her house on Parkland erupt in flames.

Mrs.Richardson begins to resent the tenants renting the upper level of her inherited duplex on Winslow Road. It isn’t long before Mia Warren, a 36-year-old single mother to 15-year-old Pearl, realizes the “rules” of living in Shaker Heights. The Warren family have lived a rather vagabond lifestyle attributing it to her work as a struggling artist. Pearl has always adjusted to each new place finally feeling settled in Shaker Heights.

Initially, Pearl and Moody become friends when they realize they are in the same high school classes. Soon, she is welcomed into the Richardson’s family like a second home to Pearl. Sometimes it’s the differences which attract people to each other. The hypocrisy and judgements of others have a way of circling back. The characters are carefully developed with truths and lies being slowly uncovered as the story unfolds.

The story is thoughtful, rich with substance leaving the reader in deep contemplation about the lasting effects of our decisions and resulting consequences.



View all my reviews