In "Little Fires Everywhere" the lives of two very different families - the Richardsons and the Warrens - overlap for a time in the mid-1990s, resulting in dramatic changes in both.
The six-member Richardson family is comprised of mother Elena - a journalist;
Father Bill - an attorney;
And their four teenage children: Trip - the high school athlete and local heartthrob;
Lexie - the pretty fashionista aiming for the Ivy League;
Moody - the serious thinker who enjoys playing the guitar;
And Izzy - the rebel who feels like a fish-out-of-water.
The Richardsons have a large, beautiful home in upscale Shaker Heights, Ohio - a planned liberal-thinking community where everything is orderly and 'no one sees race.'
In fact Lexie has an African-American boyfriend named Brian, and no one blinks an eye.
In Elena's eyes she and her family have the perfect life, one that should be emulated by everyone.
The Warrens could hardly be more different than the Richardsons. Their two-member household consists of Mia - a professional photographer/artist, and her 15-year-old daughter Pearl - a bright, quiet girl. The Warrens are almost itinerants, pulling up stakes whenever Mia feels the need for a fresh artistic inspiration. In fact the Warrens have moved over 45 times since Pearl was born.....so the girl never really had a close friend.
When the Warrens' ramblings bring them to Shaker Heights, they lease the upstairs apartment in a rental home owned by Mrs. Richardson. The rent is reasonable, but Mia still has to supplement her photography income with a job at the local Chinese restaurant. To make ends meet, Mia and Pearl eat leftovers from the restaurant, shop in thrift stores, and furnish their home with castoffs found in the street. Pearl's one yearning is to know who her father is, but Mia consistently fobs off the question with redirection and humor.
As it happens Moody Richardson and Pearl are high school classmates, and - after they become friends - Pearl starts to hang out at the Richardson home. She goes over after school to watch 'Jerry Springer' (the Richardson teens' favorite show).
Pearl mingles with the family; helps Lexie with her college application; and develops a crush on Trip. Pearl is thrilled to finally have friends, especially such a bright, stimulating bunch.
Mia gets drawn into the Richardsons orbit as well when Mrs. Richardson - in a burst of altruism - offers the photographer a job in her home to help defray the Warrens' rent. Mia's duties are to clean the house in the morning and prepare dinner in the evening, leaving plenty of time for her artistic endeavors.
In an ironic exchange, young Izzy becomes enthralled with Mia and her work. The youngest Richardson starts to drop by Mia's apartment after school, to help with the artist's photography and learn the craft. In fact Izzy is rather desperate for a benevolent 'mother figure' in her life.
We come to learn that Izzy was a premature baby who nearly died. The incident so upset Mrs. Richardson that she resents Izzy, whom she criticizes and chastises relentlessly. Izzy, in turn, acts out in outrageous ways. (I was somewhat surprised that Mr. Richardson didn't intervene with his wife here; it quite put me off him.)
All this interaction results in the Richardsons and Warrens becoming closely - but casually - intertwined.
Relations between the two families are unremarkable until Mia happens to overhear that Mrs. Richardson's friends, the McCulloughs, have almost completed their adoption of a one-year-old Chinese baby they call Mirabelle.
It so happens that Mia knows something about the child. The girl's mother, Bebe Chow, is an immigrant who works at the Chinese restaurant with Mia - and she had previously confided her story.
Ten months ago, when Bebe was homeless and penniless, she left her little daughter, May Ling, at a fire station. When Bebe got a job, she tried to get the baby back.....but couldn't find her.
So Mia tells Bebe where the baby is. Shortly afterward, there's a court case for custody of the tot, and a media circus surrounding the event.
Mrs. Richardson becomes infuriated by Mia's 'interference' and - already put off by the artist's lifestyle - makes it her business to look into Mia's background. Mrs. Richardson's motives aren't entirely clear, but she seems bent on making trouble. In my opinion Mrs. Richardson is a sneaky, self-righteous bitch, who - in the end - suffers the consequences of her actions. I can't say more than that without spoilers.
As for the adoption, I was empathetic to both sides. The McCulloughs had suffered numerous miscarriages and were desperate for a child. Moreover, their wealth would provide many benefits for Mirabelle/May Ling. On the other hand, Bebe was distraught at the thought of losing her biological child.
In the end though, is it right to steal someone's child? The McCulloughs cold, calculating efforts to do this offended me. Not to mention, Mirabelle/May Ling would grow up to read all this on the internet....and then what? The citizens of Shaker Heights and the various Richardsons have different opinions about the custody issue, which sows dissension in the ranks.
The court case about Mirabelle/May Ling's custody is almost a caricature. When Mrs. McCullough is asked about providing a cultural environment for a Chinese baby, she cites things like: displaying Chinese art in her home; feeding Mirabelle rice; and plans to take Mirabelle to a Chinese restaurant when she's older.
After the testimony, I was on tenterhooks to find out how the judge in the Mirabelle/May Ling case would rule.
The major characters in the book are well-drawn and - for the most part - believable. However, it struck me as unrealistic that ALL the Richardson kids gathered in the living room every day to watch Jerry Springer - as it's my experience that disparate siblings aren't that chummy.
I also thought Lexie's infatuation with infants was exaggerated. My elderly mom adores babies to distraction.....but a college-bound teenager? I don't think so. Lastly, I wouldn't be as nice as Mia in her circumstances. In general, though, the characters act in ways that reflect their personalities.
I'm a bit at odds with the book's plethora of stellar reviews. I agree that the story is compelling and well-written, but the 'nicey-nicey' Shaker Heights environment seems too good to be true and I don't buy the novel's ending. The book does address interesting social issues - especially 'motherhood' - and would probably appeal to many fans of literary novels. For me though, it doesn't hit a bullseye.
The book has been adapted into a mini-series on Hulu.
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