Little Fires Everywhere

by Celeste Ng

She had learned that when people were bent on doing something they believed was a good deed, it was usually impossible to dissuade them.

It refers to the literal fire that opens the novel, of course, but it also highlights the idea that there’s often no one cause for a disaster; often, there are many issues smoldering that ultimately reach a tipping point.

A parent is something you are, but also something you become over time.