LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE

“The problem with rules … was that they implied a right way and a wrong way to do things. When, in fact, most of the time there were simply *ways*, none of them quite wrong or quite right, and nothing to tell you for sure which side of the line you stood on.”

This thoroughly engaging story profiles the relationship between a family of six in Shaker Heights, and their enigmatic new mother-daughter tenants, who are eventually drawn into a battle over the planned adoption a Chinese-American baby in their community. There’s so much to enjoy about this immensely satisfying novel, but what I found most compelling was its well-crafted story, with just the right amount of unexpected twists, and loose ends creatively tied up. Ng’s writing lets us draw our own conclusions about the subtle dynamics between the characters, and their imperfections that ultimately propel the story forward. All of these are seen through the prism of suburban America, with its politeness, hypocrisy and complicated web of inhabitants.

I thought the lo mein from Lucky Palace, where the character Mia works, might look something like this. I’d never cooked homemade lo mein before, but this recipe, adapted from chef Jet Tila, was both easy and yum. With all of the takeout Chinese food in this book, it didn’t take me long to noodle on what to make. (Sorry - I couldn’t help myself!)