Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
It follows how the fortunes of the ideal Richardson family and the mysterious mother and daughter who upend their lives become connected. Everything in Shaker Heights, a serene, forward-thinking Cleveland suburb, is planned, from the design of the winding streets to the hues of the homes to the prosperous lives their occupants will go on to lead. Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is following the rules, most exemplifies this spirit.
Meet Mia Warren, a mysterious artist and single mother who rents a home from the Richardsons after moving to this picturesque community with her teenage daughter Pearl. All four Richardson children are soon drawn to the mother-daughter duo, and Mia and Pearl end up becoming more than just tenants.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
326 used from $0.99
Free shipping
Amazon.com
Nevertheless, Mia carries with her a murky history and a disrespect for the status quo that pose a challenge to this tightly structured neighbourhood. An adoption attempt by longtime family friends of the Richardsons sparks a custody dispute that sharply divides the community and pits Mia and Elena on opposite sides. Elena, who is suspicious of Mia and her motivations, is driven to learn the truth about Mia’s past. But her fixation will cost her dearly and unexpectedly.
The weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, the fierce pull of motherhood, and the peril of thinking that abiding by the rules might prevent calamity are all explored in Little Fires Everywhere.
As the song says, Shaker Heights is full of little cottages built of ticky-tacky. Even in the conventional ways they seek for diversity and range, the individuals there is the very definition of cookie-cutter. Every shade of skin tone is taken into account, much as how the colours of the dwellings are picked; everything has a place and a function. It is a meticulously planned neighbourhood down to the last brick.
In Shaker Heights, there are regulations governing things like how many trees you can have in your yard and where you can put your trash can. Limits on how fast you can go and how many animals you can have in a home. And everything functions, for the most part.
Her sons Trip and Moody Richardson are the perfect representation of the Shaker Heights Young Man. The trip is athletic and attractive, and he has drawn the attention of numerous young women. According to his moniker, Moody spends his heated afternoons either writing in his diary or riding his bike around the peaceful, tree-lined neighbourhoods. Lexie, the oldest daughter of Mrs Richardson, has attractive WASP features and a smile fit for a beauty queen. Izzy is the odd girl out, the black sheep, and the youngster who constantly has to question things and insists on doing things her way, even if they go against the norm. Izzy is the youngster who constantly carries a problem in her sleeve, ready to detonate it like a bomb in a war.
Even as a little child, Izzy was always challenging. Mrs. Richardson even argues that when Izzy was still in the womb, she knew she would cause problems. However, she has mellowed a bit since the Warren family moved in, using her after-school hours to pretend to be the mysterious artist’s helper rather than preparing her next retaliation. Driving into Shaker Heights from who knows where, Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl settled down in the Richardsons’ investment house, renting out the upstairs area and putting down some shaky roots.
Mia works as a photographer of some kind, a profession that Mrs. Richardson, who received a formal education, could never comprehend. The eccentric Mia spends her days turning bits of their small town into photos that are then altered in a dark room to fit her whims and fancy. She wears peasant skirts and bracelets she found at a charity store. Pearl, her daughter, is quiet and introverted to the point of being socially awkward because she has never been in one location long enough to naturally establish friends. But since the Warrens moved to Shaker Heights, Pearl and Moody have taken off like wildfire, and it seems as though you can’t find one without also discovering the other.
