Commentary: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
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This book— my favorite kind of book— makes you want to be a better person. Not through guilt or shame (not that those aren’t also great motivators), but through moments of sincere kindness— moments that reach out through the dark and offer a warm hand, an embrace, an acknowledgement.
Although Little Fires Everywhere was about the collision of two opposite families— sparks flying left and right as each character knocks against the others— it was to me a beautiful display of right and wrong: both right and wrong being done in the same moment. It was a suggestion of patience. A suggestion to look twice at people. A suggestion towards small acts of gentleness. A suggestion towards bravery— towards the unknown. A suggestion towards radicalism, towards chaos, towards what’s right.
I began this read happy to slip into a suburban drama. I ended this read just as happy despite all the fires, all the loss, all the fighting and blaming. I felt safe with Mia, one of the mothers we come to unravel and know in this story. Although I initially disliked her, I found her ultimately to be the hero of the story: the knower of right and wrong, the kind hand in the dark, the gentle push towards chaos. She made me feel safe and she made me want to be a better person that I am.
Quick recommendation: For anyone who enjoyed books like The Nix, you’ll want to pick up Little Fires Everywhere too.