Little Fires Everywhere is a novel written by Celeste Ng in 2017. Ng switches around between different perspectives of the main characters in her book so readers can have a better look into the characters’ internal worlds and how the little struggles link with significant conflicts. The book also emphasizes the theme of racism; it embodies the way people view others.

The novel is set in Shaker Heights, a quiet, relatively dull, and uneventful suburb of Cleveland. The entrance of Mia Warren and her only family member, her daughter Pearl, interrupts the peace in the town. Mia had been a surrogate mother a long time ago—she had Pearl and was supposed to give the infant to her employer. However, as the relationship between her and her child became closer as days passed, Mia eventually decided to run away with the child, separating herself from her family and a familiar life. After their arrival in Heights, Mia and Pearl rent a house from the Richardson’s. The four children from the Richardson’s quickly become regular visitors to Mia and Pearl’s home. However, normalcy never lasts. Mia’s past with secrets came along with her began to be revealed.

After a while of serenity in Heights, Mia and Mrs. Richardson had some conflicts with each other due to their different opinions on the trial between Bebe Chow and the McCullough’s. Bebe Chow is an Asian mother who accidentally left her baby at the train station and has been looking for her child for a year. At the time, she had just found out that her baby was picked up by the McCullough’s who later attempted to adopt the infant since they thought no one wanted the child. A trial on the belonging of the custody of Chow’s son starts between Bebe Chow and the McCullough’s. Most of the people in the town are on the McCullough’s side after the trial is revealed; they supported the white family over the Asian mother because they are of the same race. As mentioned in the book, some of the townspeople have once said that the little being would have a better life if he grew up under a white background.

Mrs. Richardson and Mia’s relationship strained as time passed, which eventually lead to Mia and Pearl being revoked of their right to stay at the Richardson’s house. Mrs. Richardson made this final decision based on the discovery she has made. At first, she finds out that something is unusual about Mia and starts becoming agitated about Mia’s darkest secret—that Pearl is the result of Mia’s surrogacy. Moreover, after Mrs. Richardson discovers this, she also notices that the middle-aged Pearl had registered an abortion in a nearby clinic. Mrs. Richardson tells the mother and daughter to leave the house because she feels disgraced about what Pearl has done. However, what she never knew was that her daughter, Lexie, took advantage of Pearl and made her sign the name instead after abortion. Also, Mrs. Richardson got unhappy when Mia supported Bebe Chow always, and Mrs. Richardson held the same opinion as the townspeople do and believe it would be better for the kid if he stays with the McCullough’s.

Racism functions as a theme that leads the plots to develop throughout the entire book. I agree with San Francisco Chronicle that, “If Little Fires Everywhere doesn’t give you pause and help you think differently about humanity and this country’s current state of affairs, start over from the beginning and reread the book.” I felt angry when I read that the townspeople believed that Bebe Chow had no power to raise her child simply because she was an Asian mother.  I was surprised by how the townspeople were supporting the McCullough’s, while the child really belongs to Bebe and by how those people supporting the McCullough’s while the child’s mother was subject to racism and biased perspectives.

Furthermore, I felt bitterly disappointed with Mrs. Richardson when she decides to kick Mia and Pearl out of her rental house because of the unpleasant past she finds on the two ladies and also due to the opposition on Bebe Chow’s trial. It is understandable that Mrs. Richardson feels disgraced that her tenant is someone who had been a surrogate in the past, with a daughter, who had registered an abortion as a teenager,  whom she was supposed to give to her employer.

However, as Mrs.Richardson and Mia’s friendship became stronger and as their children became closer, there should have been some bond in Mrs. Richardson’s heart that cannot be easily cut off. Instead, she weighs her reputation over the one-year-long relationship with the small family. In return, even though Mia and Pearl both knew about Lexie’s secret, Mrs. Richardson’s daughter who got an abortion and used Pearl, they reach a secret agreement not to tell Mrs. Richardson while Mrs. Richardson does not consider their relationship at all when thinking whether she should kick them out or not.

The whole novel seems like the fluctuations between the families of Richardson’s and Mia while in fact, the conflicts in their relationships exemplify the theme of racism and humanity. Back in the old days in the US, racism was widespread in those first areas, Asians were the ones whom Americans discriminate against, but there were still white people who were gradually accepting them. Racism shows by how the townspeople were supporting on McCullough’s side and saying that they think a kid grows up under a white background is more advanced than a kid who becomes mature with an Asian family. Also, I was not surprised by how Mrs.Richardson chose her reputation over her friend and her family member, Mia and Pearl. I could see the darkness of humanity through the decisions made by Mrs.Richardson. This is also a sign of privilege between classes, Mrs. Richardson owns the power to move Mia and her daughter out and their situation of having no choice but to accept their pathetic lives form a distinct comparison of the difference between classes and race.