As a college student not entirely sure what I want to do, meandering through the different departments and classes at the prestigious University of Michigan was bound to lead me somewhere. And it did. By dipping my toes into Michigan’s English Department, it was inevitable that I would discover critically acclaimed American writer and novelist Celeste Ng, who is a UM alumna. Author of three best selling novels and dozens of short stories and essays, Ng earned her undergrad from Harvard University and her MFA in creative writing from UM. Of her three novels, her 2017 release, Little Fires Everywhere, is easily the most popular and impactful, as it is the only one to be adapted into a full eight-episode television miniseries.
Little Fires Everywhere takes place in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a small suburb of Cleveland, where Ng grew up. It focuses on the Richardsons, whose mother is a third-generation Shaker resident, and the Warrens, a mother-daughter pair who have just moved into the community. As described in the novel, Shaker Heights is an idealistic city governed by the belief that “most communities just happen; the best are planned.” No one embodies this belief more than Elena Richardson, whose worldview conflicts with the free-flowing spirit of Mia Warren.
Written from a third-person omniscient point of view, Little Fires Everywhere makes it difficult to become deeply attached to the characters, as the focus shifts among them throughout the novel. This narrative approach, however, was my favorite aspect of the novel—not because it was particularly engaging, but because it allowed me to become more invested in how Shaker Heights itself influenced the central conflict—so much so that I decided to research it further and put together a guide to the small Ohio town, should you want to venture to the real life setting.
Travel Guide
Shaker Historical Museum
Located on the northern side of the city, the Shaker Historical Museum features “exhibits telling the fascinating story of Shaker Heights, a planned suburban Cleveland community developed in the early 20th century.” This highlights what defines Shaker Heights: a community built on intention, order, and idealism. These same values drive Elena Richardson’s belief that life should be carefully controlled—a belief that the novel challenges through its central conflict with Mia Warren.
Shaker Towne Center
With a history dating back nearly 150 years—though its most relevant developments began in the late 1950s—the Shaker Towne Center has undergone numerous efforts to remain “vibrant and a favored place for Shaker Heights shoppers.” In Little Fires Everywhere, Lexie Richardson and Pearl Warren, both daughters in their respective families, go shopping together. Although they do not visit what is considered the city’s downtown shopping district, it represents a space where Shaker’s shared public life is on display—one in which Pearl is subtly excluded as an outsider in such a tightly knit community.
Shaker Heights Country Club
Located in the heart of historic Shaker Heights, the Shaker Heights Country Club is a premier, full-service, family-oriented private club. With amenities that include an “18-hole golf course, 25-meter pool, tennis courts, and paddle facilities,” it serves as a symbol of wealth, exclusivity, and social hierarchy. These are the types of spaces where the Richardsons—an upper-middle-class family that enjoys leisure and vacationing—belong. In contrast to the Warrens, who live a more transient lifestyle, this setting highlights the stark class divide between them.
Parkland Drive
Known for its mastery of the Revival architecture style, homes on Parkland Drive incorporate “various French and American regional styles in a manner that captured distinctive elements without displaying a strict adherence to form.” Needless to say, Parkland Drive is a wealthy street and the location of the Richardson home. Throughout Little Fires Everywhere, the Richardson house serves as a central setting where many characters—including members of both families—interact.
Loganberry Books
Established in 1994 by Harriet Logan, Loganberry Books is an “independently owned and operated bookstore featuring carefully selected new, used, and rare books.” Given her unpredictable, transient lifestyle, Pearl Warren finds comfort in books and learning. Lacking close relationships, she often turns to intellectual pursuits, which helps explain her fascination with the Richardson family’s inviting nature when the Warrens move to Shaker Heights.
Shaker Heights Public Library
Regarded as an indispensable community asset, the Shaker Heights Public Library values its “diverse community and transforms lives by bringing together people, information, and ideas.” As someone driven by intellectual curiosity who closely observes and questions the world around her, Mia Warren would not only appreciate the library for what it offers but also mirror it, as it is a space where different perspectives can coexist.
Gridley Triangle Park
One of the many parks in Shaker Heights and down the road from Lomond Elementary School, Gridley Triangle Park is “open from dawn to dusk” with a “2- to 12-year-old play area.” As mentioned in Little Fires Everywhere, the youngest member of the Richardson family, Izzy Richardson, would have likely frequented this park when she was younger. It is entirely possible that, as an outcast in her own family, Izzy would have felt compelled to distance herself from them in any way possible, including taking solace in the outdoors, where her family’s lifestyle does not affect her.
Nature Center at Shaker Lakes
With urban development around the Cleveland area in the late 20th century, the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes was “founded in 1966 to prevent a highway from destroying the treasured green space.” Nowadays, it has similar goals, aiming to connect visitors with nature through engaging and educational programs. Standing as a symbol of resistance against imposed order within Shaker Heights, Mia Warren would likely appreciate the nature center, as her life is shaped by creativity, movement, and authenticity. Elena Richardson, on the other hand, values the suburban plan of Shaker Heights and would likely contest Mia’s stance, much like she does in the novel.
Northstar Cafe in Shaker Heights
With a philosophy of choosing “locally grown, organic, and artisan-produced foods” to protect the environment and support producers whose views are aligned with theirs, the Northstar Cafe in Shaker Heights is a beloved community staple. Open from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily, with breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner menus as well as online ordering, it is not difficult to see why. As the oldest and most popular children in the Richardson family, Lexie and Trip Richardson would most likely enjoy going to Northstar Cafe—Trip with his friends and Lexie with hers, as well as with her boyfriend, Brian.
Cilantro Taqueria – Van Aken
Located in the Van Aken District, the premier destination for unique retail, delicious eats, and family-friendly entertainment, Cilantro Taqueria brings “authentic, build-your-own Mexican street food” to Shaker Heights. This emphasis on creating an authentic, community-based establishment is something Bebe Chow could empathize with. As someone whose identity as an immigrant involves struggles with cultural belonging and economic hardship, she could appreciate Cilantro Taqueria’s cultural blending and its desire to make its food as affordable as possible.
Reflecting on the book
What fascinated me most about Shaker Heights—and what made this a compelling piece of place-based storytelling, in my opinion—was how Little Fires Everywhere uses it to define its characters. The entire Richardson family, particularly Elena, is shaped by the rigid ideals of Shaker Heights. This influences nearly every interaction the Richardson family members have with other characters in the story, as well as serving as the primary instigator of the central conflict with the Warrens.
That being said, my biggest gripe with Little Fires Everywhere was its characters, as the way the story is presented makes it exceedingly difficult to become attached to them. A review from Reading on a Star had similar complaints, noting, “I couldn’t bring myself to love any of the characters. I appreciate the writing, and I really did love the depth to each character, but there was nothing that brought this whole novel together in the end.” This novel presents many characters who contribute to the overall plot to varying degrees of importance, but it does not make them compelling enough to be anything more than instruments in presenting the novel’s theme. This is mainly due to the narration-heavy writing style, which favors telling how the characters act and feel rather than showing it. For someone who is drawn to stories for the characters, which then allows me to love the themes, I could not get behind a novel like this one, which prioritizes its themes above everything else.
In terms of thematic elements, Little Fires Everywhere explores the tension between order and chaos, the complexities of motherhood, and the dangers of rigidly conforming to social rules. Of these, I found the tension between order and chaos to be the most prevalent, which is very similar to that in The Lord of the Flies. Written by William Golding and published in 1954 in response to the atrocities of World War II, the novel argues that without societal constraints, any human—even innocent children—can revert to savagery. This tension between order and chaos is demonstrated through the conflict between civilization and savagery among a group of boys stranded on an island, and their eventual descent into savagery. For this reason alone, Little Fires Everywhere remains highly relevant for its thematic elements, just as The Lord of the Flies does to this day. So, if you appreciate this novel for its themes, I would highly recommend reading The Lord of the Flies.
While I have been highly critical of Little Fires Everywhere in terms of how compelling its characters are and how its narration-heavy writing style detracts from what could be an extremely enjoyable story, that does not discredit what it has to say or how its story serves that purpose. At its core, this novel is a character-driven story, even though it does not always feel like one. Since Shaker Heights is indirectly responsible for the events of the novel, it is clear that, without it, the story would not have unfolded in the same way. This level of detail is present throughout the novel and is the very reason I would give it four out of five stars, as it is a novel that some may not find enjoyable but can still appreciate for its themes, just as I did.
If I could describe Little Fires Everywhere in one sentence, I would call it the kind of novel high schoolers are forced to read—not because it is an engaging story, but because of its themes and their relevance. If you’ve not yet read this novel but are intrigued by the location, expect to be amazed by Ng’s writing style. Check out Ng’s other novels Everything I Never Told You and Our Missing Hearts too.
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