Little Fires Everywhere: Reese's Book Club
The #1 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 more
“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
From the bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You and Our Missing Hearts comes 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.
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 more
“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
From the bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You and Our Missing Hearts comes 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.
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 more
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Community Reviews
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Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
336 pages
What’s it about?
When the Richardson family of Shaker Heights, Ohio meets Mia Warren and her 15-year-old daughter Pearl- all their lives change dramatically. The Richardson’s have always lived a life of comfort and privilege- that is until Mia arrives. Mia is an artist whose way of life is completely opposite of the Richardsons. The contrast of the two families is very illuminating!
What did it make me think about?
As many good novels do- this book makes you think about what actually makes a family. Is it genetics? Is it love? Is it culture? No easy answers in this book.
Should I read it?
If I had just received a gift card for the holidays then I might splurge on this novel. I must admit to starting this book at the same time I picked up an 8 week-old puppy so I had to read it in little bits. Usually this is the kiss of death for a book. Somehow this novel survived, and more importantly it made me think. What an interesting book this was to read over the holidays!
Quote-
“The girls he’s grown up with in Shaker- and the boys, too, for that matter- seemed so purposeful: they were so ambitious; they were so confidant; they were so certain about everything. They were, he thought, a little like his sisters, and his mother: so convinced there was a right and a wrong to everything, so positive that they knew one from the other. Pearl was smarter than any of them and yet she seemed comfortable with everything she didn’t know: she lingered comfortably in the gray spaces.”
If you Like this try-
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeymii
*Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
*And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
336 pages
What’s it about?
When the Richardson family of Shaker Heights, Ohio meets Mia Warren and her 15-year-old daughter Pearl- all their lives change dramatically. The Richardson’s have always lived a life of comfort and privilege- that is until Mia arrives. Mia is an artist whose way of life is completely opposite of the Richardsons. The contrast of the two families is very illuminating!
What did it make me think about?
As many good novels do- this book makes you think about what actually makes a family. Is it genetics? Is it love? Is it culture? No easy answers in this book.
Should I read it?
If I had just received a gift card for the holidays then I might splurge on this novel. I must admit to starting this book at the same time I picked up an 8 week-old puppy so I had to read it in little bits. Usually this is the kiss of death for a book. Somehow this novel survived, and more importantly it made me think. What an interesting book this was to read over the holidays!
Quote-
“The girls he’s grown up with in Shaker- and the boys, too, for that matter- seemed so purposeful: they were so ambitious; they were so confidant; they were so certain about everything. They were, he thought, a little like his sisters, and his mother: so convinced there was a right and a wrong to everything, so positive that they knew one from the other. Pearl was smarter than any of them and yet she seemed comfortable with everything she didn’t know: she lingered comfortably in the gray spaces.”
If you Like this try-
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeymii
*Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
*And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Nice story but very sappy.
Nice story about identity, parenthood, life in the suburbs but kind of predictable and very sappy & sentimental. Solid 3 stars.
Nice story about identity, parenthood, life in the suburbs but kind of predictable and very sappy & sentimental. Solid 3 stars.
I picked this up for a bookclub read.
I loved this book and passed it on to others who would enjoy it also. I enjoyed the diversity of the characters and the way the author filled them out.
I also watched the series that was based on the book. I was glad that some of the questions from the book were answered in the show.
I highly recommend this book.
I loved this book and passed it on to others who would enjoy it also. I enjoyed the diversity of the characters and the way the author filled them out.
I also watched the series that was based on the book. I was glad that some of the questions from the book were answered in the show.
I highly recommend this book.
I really did not like this book when looking at it from start to finish. Mia's story was definitely the most interesting and endearing storyline. The Richardsons were self centered to the point of unrealistic and frustrating. They were very one dimensional characters. The ending left a lot to be desired. A quick read that I just kept wishing was better.
Interesting and enjoyable read. I haven’t seen the hulu series but knowing the actresses who play the two lead characters, I can easily see them in those roles; good casting! A little predictable at the end? Maybe… but still overall a good read.
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