“Rules existed for a reason: if you followed them, you would succeed; if you didn't, you might burn the world to the ground.”
On a night filled with fireworks—some snap, sizzle, and pop—I thought it fitting to write about Little Fires Everywhere. I just returned from a charming Cape May, where the sun and the ocean breeze brought me much needed harmony. (A beach is the best medicine.) I finally tried out Celeste Ng. Am I the last one? I’m guessing that’s a yes. Rachel’s soothing voice just showed up in my head, assuring me it’s not a race, but I know better: we like to run to the good reads. I should have gotten a jump on Little Fires Everywhere sooner.
Here’s why I liked Ng’s latest: it’s easy fiction to read. Like the sandy shores of the Atlantic, it provided a nice escape. The story revolves around a seemingly perfect society in the small town of Shaker Heights, where careful planning leads to automatic success. When newcomer Mia and her daughter Pearl arrive on the blissful scene, things heat up. Why? Because true to small-town form, residents like to get up into other people’s business. A meddling mother plays detective and ends up paying a devastating price that upends her orderly life. I have to say, Ng had me guessing at times. I like a novel with some unexpected twists. (Who doesn’t?) Plus, there was a moral takeaway. And her words looked good on the page. In fact, my precocious niece was five chapters deep into Little Fires under Cape May’s cheerful sun—assigned reading for her 10th grade Honors English class. If you’re headed for a coast, or have a long flight in your future, this is a good one to pull out of your bag and dive into.
P.S. I just learned that Hulu is making this book into a t.v. series starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington…should be good!