Little Fires Everywhere

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

There is so much going on in this book, it’s difficult to describe.  Little Fires Everywhere takes family dysfunction to a whole new level.  The dysfunction isn’t as in your face as I have found in other books, it’s much more under the surface, which makes it even more destructive.

The Premise: A wealthy white family of 5, the Richardsons, live in a well-to-do community called Shaker Heights.  They also own a nice duplex, which they rent out.  A black photographer and her daughter have recently moved to town and rent a place from them.

It’s a story of privilege, struggle, family dynamics, racism and so much more.

When I first read the book I was a little underwhelmed.  But I kept hearing so many good things about it, I figure I must have missed something.  Then, Hulu made a miniseries, which I watched and loved.  I went back and reread the book, and learn a couple of things.  The book was much better the second time.  I think I skimmed too much on the first read through and missed important nuances.  Also, the Hulu version didn’t change the story, but it added a lot of details that weren’t in the book.  This is one of the rare instances where I think the screen version was actually better.

Whether you pick up a copy of the book or log into Hulu, this is a great story with a lot of depth.  Give it a whirl!