3 Things to Know About ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ If You Didn’t Read the Book
Preview
Celeste Ng’s bestselling 2017 novel becomes a slow-burn thrill in this eight-episode adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon as Elena, a type-A suburbanite whose family life is upended by nomadic black artist Mia (Kerry Washington).
For those who skipped book club…
1. The setting is significant.
Fires — which exec producer Liz Tigelaar describes as “a story about race, white fragility and class” — takes place in 1997, “when people still had this idea that being ‘color blind’ was a good thing,” says Tigelaar.
2. But nothing is black or white.
While race plays a role in the tensions between Mia and Elena, Tigelaar says there’s way more going on: “Their relationship is layered.”
(Credit: Hulu)
3. Mia’s art is real.
Washington’s character paints and takes photos, so Tigelaar recruited artist Connie Martin Trevino to provide the product. “What she did was so beautiful,” she raves, hinting at a piece in the finale “that’s insane.”
Little Fires Everywhere, Series Premiere, Wednesday, March 18, Hulu
