Little Fires Everywhere
2017 · Celeste Ng · 338 pages · Contemporary Fiction
Celeste Ng's second novel uses a custody battle in the planned community of Shaker Heights, Ohio, to explore questions about motherhood, privilege, and the illusion of order that wealth provides. The novel is sharp, well-plotted, and populated with characters who feel real enough to argue about. It occasionally leans too hard on its thematic architecture, but the central conflicts are compelling and the writing is controlled and precise.