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. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair.

And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.Įnter 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. 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. It moved me to tears.” -Reese Witherspoonįrom 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. It’s a deep psychological mystery about the power of motherhood, the intensity of teenage love, and the danger of perfection. “To say I love this book is an understatement. It's a marvel.” -Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train and A Slow Fire Burning

Little fires everywhere by celeste ng