Book Review: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.

‘To a parent, your child wasn’t just a person: your child was a place, a kind of Narnia, a vast eternal place where the present you were living and the past you remembered and the future you longed for all existed at once.’ – Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere. 

Today is Mother’s Day in Australia and I decided to reflect on just one book this year around the theme of mothers. I decided to focus on this masterpiece by Celeste Ng because it shows a unique plot of motherhood. 

This novel centres on a custody battle for a beautiful baby girl. 

Little Fires Everywhere is a King Solomon dilemma for modern society. What makes a mother? Two mothers both with a profound love for one baby. Both mothers are very different but loving women with their own individual flaws and shortcomings. Who should have custody? 

Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon are the stars of the new mini series based on this best selling novel. Little Fires Everywhere will be broadcasted in Australia on Amazon Prime on May 22nd. To get ready for the television series I started reading the novel and got consumed by the drama. In this book blog I discuss the book and it’s heartbreaking dilemma at the forefront. 

This book follows Mia, a struggling artist and a single mother to a teenage daughter Pearl. Mia moves to a picturesque neighbourhood and rents a charming house from the fabulous Elena. Elena is an overbearing mother of four teenagers – outgoing Lexie, quirky Izzy, shy Moody and popular Trip. Elena and Mia soon find themselves on opposing sides of a battle as their friends become entangled in a bitter battle for custody. While Elena and Mia are feuding and trying to find out each other’s secrets, their children are becoming friends and soon have their own secrets to hide. 

Mia Warren is standing by her work colleague Bebe. Bebe is a Chinese immigrant in America and was living homeless under a bridge. Bebe was scared and left her newborn baby May Ling in a cardboard box at a fire station. Several months later, after being helped by the police and a homeless shelter, Bebe’s situation has changed. Bebe now has a job at a restaurant and an apartment. She knows she can now support her baby and desperately wants her back.

Elena Richardson is standing by her lifelong best friend Linda. Linda is the adoptive mother of Mirabelle, formerly May Ling. Linda has suffered painfully from miscarriages for many years and wants nothing more than to be a mother. Linda thought all her dreams came true when the adoption agency called to say they have found a baby for her and her husband. She has lovingly spoiled Mirabelle for the past several months and is terrified of losing her especially just as the adoption paperwork is about to be finalised. 

The entire community have picked a side and there are countless debates of which mother should have custody. There is constant discussion on cultural implications, financial status and motherhood in general. When there is no clear answer…when one woman is going to be devastated…what will the family court decide? 

I loved this book and just wanted everyone to have a happy ending but there are no happy endings in custody battles when all involved are decent people. 

I love opening sentences. I feel opening sentences set the tone of a novel and should always be unique. The opening sentence of this novel is near perfection. The opening sentence tells us that the Richardson’s house has burned to the ground. Which of course explains the title and that beautiful cover art. 

What the author does most well is applying twists that still create shock. I did not see any of the turning points and found myself unable to put this novel down because I just had to know what was around the corner. The secrets were all complex and each character felt well developed. I loved Izzy and yet I was constantly surprised by Izzy. 

What surprised me most is how quickly and how frequently I changed my perspective and my allegiance in this battle. Kept going back and forth with Bebe and Linda and who I thought should have custody. Motherhood is not simple and what makes a mother is not simple. Both Bebe and Linda love their daughter. They both want what is best for their daughter. They both believe they are what is best for their daughter.

I hope this Mother’s Day you are lucky enough to have a mother who loves you and who would fight for you.