The runaway 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 many more!
"I read Little Fires Everywhere in a single, breathless sitting." –Jodi Picoult
“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
“I am loving Little Fires Everywhere. Maybe my favorite novel I've read this year.”—John Green
"Witty, wise, and tender. It's a marvel." – Paula Hawkins
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.
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.
Perfect for book clubs! Visit celesteng.com for discussion guides and more.
Meeting: 5/21
Moderator: Marybeth Mueller
The idea of the story is appealing (exploring the great divide between the wealthy and the poor, as well as attitudes about race from a suburban perspective). There was promise at first-- the rising tensions (e.g. between Mia and Mrs. Richardson) were expressed through subtle comments and gestures, which felt very natural. The struggles of the teenagers (especially Pearl and Izzy) also felt natural, and were engrossing for a while. However, as the conflicts escalated, the characters' reactions seemed to devolve until they became two-dimensional
ReplyDeleteThe book is relatively entertaining but nothing great or compelling. Similar to other books that we have read nothing new or exciting. I didn't feel the characters were very real or relatable the male characters were under developed to the point if being total non-entities.
I personally felt that the ignoring of the fathers in the premise of story, "who gets to decide who should be the mother of a child" came across as awkward and preachy. I read it and if it were not a book club read, I probably would not have finished it. I was a little disappointed with this book, it just did not deliver for me. I am not sure where this would fit into a social studies curriculum. I actually continue to come back to a statement that Brad had made on several occasions that there are better books that deliver a similar message, so why would we have a student read this book.