Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (2017 fiction)
This study of family life in Shaker Heights begins at its conclusion, with the youngest Richardson daughter burning down the family home. The fire department analysis of the fire concludes that the fire began in multiple locations with “little fires everywhere.” But back to the beginning of the Shaker Heights planned community, one that forges the lives of its inhabitants. The Richardsons are model residents, with their careers, community involvement, and four beautiful children. They own a rental property, which they rent to photographer Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl. While the tantalizing Warrens become a quasi-part of the Richardson circle, their financial struggles and nomadic history keep them an armslength away. Then close friends of the Richardsons adopt an Asian baby, and differing opinions about the baby’s origin cause a major rift between the Richardsons and the Warrens. Each character in this novel has its own personal subplot and problem to resolve, and as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the “little fires everywhere” are as much the difficulties in the lives of the characters as the more obvious actual fires. This is a very readable, fascinating take on the not-so-perfect Shaker Heights families and their life lessons. Recommended.
Reviewed by Ginger Russell
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