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Overview
The #1 New York Times bestseller! "Witty, wise, and tender. It's a marvel." --Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train and A Slow Fire Burning "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 many more... Perfect for book clubs! Visit celesteng.com for discussion guides and more.
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Details
- ISBN-13: 9780735224292
- ISBN-10: 0735224293
- Publisher: Penguin Press
- Publish Date: September 2017
- Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
- Page Count: 352
Related Categories
Best Books of 2017
After much discussion and determined lobbying for our personal favorites, the editors of BookPage have reached a consensus on the year’s best books. These are the books we can’t forget—and can’t stop sharing with readers wherever we go.
#1 Celeste Ng
Little Fires Everywhere
In the privileged community of Shaker Heights, wealth and comfort crumble in the firelight of Ng’s brilliant storytelling.
#2 George Saunders
Lincoln in the Bardo
The incomparable winner of the 2017 Man Booker Prize is a heartbreaking, funny, strange reflection on grief after loss.
#3 Elif Batuman
The Idiot
This hilarious debut pulls no punches in depicting the absurdity of campus life and the particularly awkward magic of early adulthood.
#4 Mohsin Hamid
Exit West
Spiced with unexpected magic, this imaginative love story follows a young couple who join a wave of migrants as their city collapses.
#5 Stephanie Powell Watts
No One Is Coming to Save Us
In a riveting riff on The Great Gatsby, Watts’ first novel focuses on the residents of a down-on-its-luck North Carolina town.
#6 Min Jin Lee
Pachinko
Addicting and powerful, this superb novel follows four generations of a Korean family carving out a life in Japan despite racism and war.
#7 Jennifer Egan
Manhattan Beach
During World War II, one woman becomes the first female diver at the Brooklyn docks. Hold your breath and sink in deep.
#8 Walter Isaacson
Leonardo da Vinci
Isaacson delves into Leonardo’s life and pulls back the curtain of genius on one of the most brilliant men who ever lived.
#9 Ron Chernow
Grant
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author offers a richly detailed, uncommonly compelling biography of Ulysses S. Grant.
#10 Hala Alyan
Salt Houses
At the heart of Alyan’s debut are enormous themes of time and family, grounded by piercing insight and striking, poetic language.
#11 Jesmyn Ward
Sing, Unburied, Sing
This intricately layered story with supernatural elements offers a brutal view of racial tensions in the modern-day American South.
#12 David Sedaris
Theft by Finding
Beloved humorist Sedaris shares 20 years of observations in this collection of diary entries that toe the line between hilarious and weird.
#13 Nina Riggs
The Bright Hour
With levity and bittersweetness amid the worst moments, Riggs’ account of living with cancer is feisty, uplifting reading.
#14 Dennis Lehane
Since We Fell
Already optioned for film, this bewitching thriller follows an intrepid journalist as she uncovers her family’s darkest secrets.
#15 Scott Kelly
Endurance
After spending a year in space, veteran astronaut Kelly has returned to Earth to tell us what life is like among the stars.
#16 Sherman Alexie
You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me
Don’t trust just anyone to break your heart, but do trust Alexie and this unconventional memoir of his relationship with his mother.
#17 Viet Thanh Nguyen
The Refugees
Nine superb, understated stories from the Pulitzer Prize winner find characters stretched between cultures, countries and desires.
#18 Timothy B. Tyson
The Blood of Emmett Till
The most notorious hate crime in American history receives the insightful, fearless inquiry it deserves.
#19 Suzy Hansen
Notes on a Foreign Country
Hansen’s investigation into U.S. involvement abroad is a compelling look at the consequences of interventionist foreign policy.
#20 Richard Ford
Between Them
Ford’s memoir is a gentle testament to the powerful love his parents had for each other and for their son.
#21 Patricia Lockwood
Priestdaddy
This unforgettable memoir offers a heartbreakingly funny look at an award-winning poet’s unconventional Catholic upbringing.
#22 Kamila Shamsie
Home Fire
Shamsie’s confident, dreamy reimagining of Antigone grasps a throbbing heart of love and loyalty.
#23 Kayla Rae Whitaker
The Animators
Two best friends and successful cartoonists navigate the creative process in this heartfelt debut.
#24 Sarah Perry
After the Eclipse
A daughter attempts to come to terms with her mother’s murder in this emotional true-crime memoir.
#25 Inara Verzemnieks
Among the Living and the Dead
The granddaughter of Latvian refugees pieces together her history.
This article was originally published in the December 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.
Best Books of 2017
After much discussion and determined lobbying for our personal favorites, the editors of BookPage have reached a consensus on the year’s best books. These are the books we can’t forget—and can’t stop sharing with readers wherever we go.
#1 Celeste Ng
Little Fires Everywhere
In the privileged community of Shaker Heights, wealth and comfort crumble in the firelight of Ng’s brilliant storytelling.
#2 George Saunders
Lincoln in the Bardo
The incomparable winner of the 2017 Man Booker Prize is a heartbreaking, funny, strange reflection on grief after loss.
#3 Elif Batuman
The Idiot
This hilarious debut pulls no punches in depicting the absurdity of campus life and the particularly awkward magic of early adulthood.
#4 Mohsin Hamid
Exit West
Spiced with unexpected magic, this imaginative love story follows a young couple who join a wave of migrants as their city collapses.
#5 Stephanie Powell Watts
No One Is Coming to Save Us
In a riveting riff on The Great Gatsby, Watts’ first novel focuses on the residents of a down-on-its-luck North Carolina town.
#6 Min Jin Lee
Pachinko
Addicting and powerful, this superb novel follows four generations of a Korean family carving out a life in Japan despite racism and war.
#7 Jennifer Egan
Manhattan Beach
During World War II, one woman becomes the first female diver at the Brooklyn docks. Hold your breath and sink in deep.
#8 Walter Isaacson
Leonardo da Vinci
Isaacson delves into Leonardo’s life and pulls back the curtain of genius on one of the most brilliant men who ever lived.
#9 Ron Chernow
Grant
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author offers a richly detailed, uncommonly compelling biography of Ulysses S. Grant.
#10 Hala Alyan
Salt Houses
At the heart of Alyan’s debut are enormous themes of time and family, grounded by piercing insight and striking, poetic language.
#11 Jesmyn Ward
Sing, Unburied, Sing
This intricately layered story with supernatural elements offers a brutal view of racial tensions in the modern-day American South.
#12 David Sedaris
Theft by Finding
Beloved humorist Sedaris shares 20 years of observations in this collection of diary entries that toe the line between hilarious and weird.
#13 Nina Riggs
The Bright Hour
With levity and bittersweetness amid the worst moments, Riggs’ account of living with cancer is feisty, uplifting reading.
#14 Dennis Lehane
Since We Fell
Already optioned for film, this bewitching thriller follows an intrepid journalist as she uncovers her family’s darkest secrets.
#15 Scott Kelly
Endurance
After spending a year in space, veteran astronaut Kelly has returned to Earth to tell us what life is like among the stars.
#16 Sherman Alexie
You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me
Don’t trust just anyone to break your heart, but do trust Alexie and this unconventional memoir of his relationship with his mother.
#17 Viet Thanh Nguyen
The Refugees
Nine superb, understated stories from the Pulitzer Prize winner find characters stretched between cultures, countries and desires.
#18 Timothy B. Tyson
The Blood of Emmett Till
The most notorious hate crime in American history receives the insightful, fearless inquiry it deserves.
#19 Suzy Hansen
Notes on a Foreign Country
Hansen’s investigation into U.S. involvement abroad is a compelling look at the consequences of interventionist foreign policy.
#20 Richard Ford
Between Them
Ford’s memoir is a gentle testament to the powerful love his parents had for each other and for their son.
#21 Patricia Lockwood
Priestdaddy
This unforgettable memoir offers a heartbreakingly funny look at an award-winning poet’s unconventional Catholic upbringing.
#22 Kamila Shamsie
Home Fire
Shamsie’s confident, dreamy reimagining of Antigone grasps a throbbing heart of love and loyalty.
#23 Kayla Rae Whitaker
The Animators
Two best friends and successful cartoonists navigate the creative process in this heartfelt debut.
#24 Sarah Perry
After the Eclipse
A daughter attempts to come to terms with her mother’s murder in this emotional true-crime memoir.
#25 Inara Verzemnieks
Among the Living and the Dead
The granddaughter of Latvian refugees pieces together her history.
This article was originally published in the December 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.