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Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Marian Caldwell is a
thirty-six year old television producer, living her dream in New York
City. With a fulfilling career and satisfying relationship, she has
convinced everyone, including herself, that her life is just as she
wants it to be. But one night, Marian answers a knock on the door . . .
only to find Kirby Rose, an eighteen-year-old girl with a key to a past
that Marian thought she had sealed off forever. From the moment Kirby
appears on her doorstep, Marian’s perfectly constructed world—and her
very identity—will be shaken to its core, resurrecting ghosts and
memories of a passionate young love affair that threaten everything that
has come to define her.
For the precocious and determined Kirby,
the encounter will spur a process of discovery that ushers her across
the threshold of adulthood, forcing her to re-evaluate her family and
future in a wise and bittersweet light. As the two women embark on a
journey to find the one thing missing in their lives, each will come to
recognize that where we belong is often where we least expect to find
ourselves—a place that we may have willed ourselves to forget, but that
the heart remembers forever.
Review:
I borrowed this book from my dear friend, who obviously understands what I like in books. I loved Where We Belong, by Emily Giffin. With an enjoyable narrative style, strong characters, and a gripping story line, this is a compelling book.
What I Liked:
Narrative Style:
There are really two stories here, so I liked the alternating points of view between Marian and Kirby. This helped me see how each character approached the delicate situation of a meeting between a birth parent and their offspring. Both people have so much at stake. This also widened the story to all the people in the lives of Marian and Kirby. Clearly, Marian's choice so long ago had a ripple effect.
Characters:
Although Kirby has good adopted parents, she still feels like an outsider among them. Kirby is the only one in her family who shows a talent for music, which sets her apart from her family. But, part of this is her own fault, as I think she makes excuses for some of her actions by thinking, "Well, I'm adopted, so who knows what my birth parents are like". But she also picks up on subtle ways her parents also make that same assumption.
Marian is a woman with a wonderful career, a handsome boyfriend, and a bucketful of regrets. She becomes pregnant right before she is set to leave for an Ivy-league college. She can't deal with how keeping a baby would upset all her plans. But she also can't deal with how she feels about the boy who got her pregnant. If she allows herself to keep the baby, she will also be tying herself to this young man who is so different from her (and her parents) life. Is Marian selfish or selfless? It's hard to say. I think this could become a heated debate in any book club who takes this book on!
Marian's boyfriend, seems at first to be just two-dimensional. But, as the story progresses, I began to understand some of his actions. But, is her right for Marian? Or is she still pining for the boy from so long ago?
Story:
I love how the book leisurely gives up it's secrets. At first you're not sure what the circumstances are surrounding Kirby's birth and adoption. As with most things, it's complicated. And, when you think you have it all figured out, there is a twist that made me want to reconsider my feelings about Marian. For a book with pretty straightforward plot, I was on the edge of my seat!
What I Didn't Like:
via GIPHY
Rating:
Release Date: July 24th, 2012
Genre: General fiction
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Page Length: 372 pages
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Format: Paperback book
Recommendation: A perfect book club selection, this book will lead to some deep discussions of adoption, and the life choices we make.
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Please Note: I received an advance audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way. Also, I am in the Amazon Affiliate program. If you buy the book using the link on this page, I will get a small fee.
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
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. And no one embodies
this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is
playing by the rules.
Enter 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. Soon
Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are
drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a
mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to
upend this carefully ordered community.
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. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is
determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will
come at unexpected and devastating costs.
Review:
I wasn't sure, at first, what to make of Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng. With its dual plot of teens, and of their parents, it's part YA, part women's fiction. It did take me a while to delve in to this book. But once I did, I was engulfed! With a huge cast of characters, and a twisty story line, this book would be a wonderful choice for a book club, and will surely be the next big movie. If you liked Big Little Lies by Lainey Moriarty, you will adore this book.
What I Liked:
Characters:
I really like all the teens in this book (except for Moody). As the title suggests, each of them have small (and large) fires going on in their lives. It reminds me that, even when people seem all perfect, everyone has something going on!
Mia, the artist/photographer who moves into the Richardson's rental unit with her daughter Pearl, is a very complex character. She also seems to have everything figured out. She moves randomly from city to city just on a whim. But there is also more going on... I had very mixed feelings about her, and her choices. She is actually quite selfish, and doesn't think about how all of their moving around affects Pearl.
Story:
There is so much going on in this book! Little fires and big fires all converge to ignite the (actual) house fire that consumes the Richardson's home. This is not giving anything away, as this happens at the beginning of the book. The rest of the story is about everything that leads up to it.
This is also a story about pregnancy, adoptions, and a custody battle. Of people desperate to have a baby, and people desperate once they have them. My heart went out to both mothers in the custody battle over an Asian baby who is being adopted into a Caucasian family. Is it right to place a child into an environment where they will surely lose their cultural identity? Or should a person who is skirting the edge of poverty be allowed to raise her own child?
Narration:
I think the narrator, Jennifer Lim, did a fine job with the characters in this story. While she does do an accent with the Asian character, she does so subtly, and with respect. She is versatile, performing as a teenage boy one minute, and a scared middle-age mother the next.
What I Didn't Like:
Characters:
I really disliked Mrs. Richardson! What a busybody. Not only does she interfere in the lives of several people, but she doesn't really pay any price for it. I really wanted her to get caught and have some consequences for her actions, but she doesn't. I know this is probably how things would turn out in "real life", but I was itching for her to pay for what she had done. The author tries, somewhat, to have one result that will haunt her, but I didn't see it as much of one. She doesn't have much regard for the person who eventually leaves, so I didn't see it as much of a loss for her.
I also thought Moody's character wasn't given much to do beyond mooning over Pearl. I wish the author had gone a little deeper into being the rejected friend. But he only seems angry, not hurt, about Pearl not liking him. All he does is trash-talk her, he doesn't even act on his anger. So this made me feel like he was just a filler character.
Rating:
Release Date: September 12th, 2017
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
Genre: General Fiction
Listening Length: 11 hours, 27 minutes
Page Length: 352 pages
Narrator: Jennifer Lim
Recommendation: This would make a wonderful selection for a book club. The actions of the characters will make for some heated discussions!
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