Celeste Ng: Motherhood Across Boundaries

December 8, 2017

Celeste Ng, Kevin Day Photography

The last time I spoke with Celeste Ng was for her debut novel, Everything I Never Told You, which won critical acclaim and in fact was featured in one of the first episodes of Intersections Radio. Last month she published her second novel, Little Fires Everywhere, and I suspect it will surpass the accolades of the first one.

Little Fires Everywhere tells the story of two connected families in Shaker Heights, Ohio back in the 90s (and by the way, the high school nostalgia is delightful). An interracial adoption of a family friend creates tension in the community and pits family members against each other. This eventually tears the community apart when morals are tested, mothers find and lose the children and Shaker Heights in all of its rules and order are undone in the process.

This book is a page-turner – a powerful one. Celeste joined me in studio for a chat about family in a society of rules and order, navigating motherhood across race and class lines, and what it means to be a woman of color raising our own children. This interview aired for the Nov. 29, 2017 episode of Intersections Radio. Check out the podcast!