Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng is an incredibly popular book. You probably already knew that, however. I picked up the novel as it has been receiving additional hype with the release of the Hulu adaptation. I went into this book not knowing what to expect yet found myself unable to put it down.
Little Fires Everywhere focuses on two families —the Richardsons and the Warrens— within the Shaker Heights neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Shaker Heights, Ng explains, was one of America’s first fully-planned communities. As a result, Shaker Heights residents tend to plan every moment and aspect of their lives. Living by rules, orderliness, and the like, is the key to a successful life, or so say the inhabitants of Shaker Heights.
Elena Richardson’s family descends from the earliest inhabitants of the planned Shaker Heights community. She is the epitome of a Shaker Heights resident; Elena believes without rules or precision, one is destined for failure. She believes in charitable work, in giving her children the finest education, and quite frankly, sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong.
Enter Mia Warren and 15-year-old daughter Pearl (if this sounds familiar, think Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter). Mia is an artist who lives a nomadic lifestyle, often moving to various parts of the United States when inspiration sparks or fades. She has no formal education, no husband, no “acceptable” occupation. She is the opposite of everything Elena Richardson was taught to be.
The novel is told from the perspective of an omniscient narrator and shifts viewpoints, ranging from Elena, Mia, Pearl, and the Richardson children. Equally, scenes from the novel take place in the past and the omniscient narrator adds commentary as to how decisions affected a character’s future, even if that future was long after the time span of the novel. Personally, I found the depth and complexity of Ng’s characters to be the most captivating part of the novel.
I’d often find myself frustrated with the characters, not understanding why the made the choices they did, but then the plot would progress, and I’d find myself with a whole new view on them. When thinking of Ng’s characters, I was reminded of a quote from Hamlet, a play written by William Shakespeare. The protagonist, Hamlet, in one of his exchanges states:
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
That’s exactly what comes to mind when I think of characters such as Elena and Mia. They are people who make choices. Choices, one could argue, are just that. A choice is only good or bad because we are groomed from a young age to believe that some things —occupations, gender orientations, religious beliefs, and the like—are right or wrong. No singular choice or belief is right or wrong, good or bad, but we are taught this dichotomous way of thinking from our cultures and societies.
This, ultimately, is the source of conflict between Elena and Mia. Two different upbringings, two different ways of thinking. They built their lives on what they knew and at the time, what they perceived best. All of the characters in Little Fires Everywhere are complex beings. They are flawed. We as readers may not agree with all of their choices, but Celeste Ng puts us in the position where at the very least, we understand them.
In addition to examining the impact of one’s upbringing on their decision-making, Little Fires Everywhere also tackles important themes such as class, race, and motherhood.
The residents of Shaker Heights are all well-meaning. Yet, there are somethings that they just don’t get quite right. Elena allows Mia and Pearl to rent an apartment from her for $300 because she sees it as charity work and that she is helping those less fortunate than her. While this way of thinking is well-intentioned, it can also be perceived as an insult. Mia does not want people’s pity. She does not want her or her daughter to be seen as a charity case. She wants to earn what she has, even if that means working multiple minimum wage jobs to put a roof over her head and food on her table while she works on her art in the meantime.
Furthermore, the residents of Shaker Heights do not believe in “seeing race or color.” While the novel does take place in the 1990s so this was generally believed to be a good thing, it is, however, misguided. While it is important to not judge anyone by their race, gender, religion, or any other identities one may have, it is important to also acknowledge their existence. Especially within the context of American history and society, it is important to acknowledge and understand how BIPOC individuals have been marginalized by our social, political, and economic systems. By “not seeing color”, one does not acknowledge how BIPOC individuals have been affected by injustice. All of that to say that you should always treat people equally but simultaneously understand how socioeconomic and political disparities have been fueled by racial injustice.
Lastly comes the debate of motherhood. Who is a mother? What constitutes a mother? Celeste Ng tackles these important questions. I won’t go into detail to avoid spoilers, but the trial, once again, highlights themes of class conflict and race relations.
I’ve thought a lot about this book since I finished reading it. I have the feeling that it will remain that way for quite some time.
Five stars from me.
Amanda Reads 