I listened to this book during the pandemic quarantine. It was enjoyable to listen to during long walks in my neighborhood.
This book beautifully blends several themes: the meaning of motherhood, racism and microaggression, art and the creative process, families and the power of secrets, teen- age angst, non- conformity, and suburban living.
The author creates vivid and believable characters. By the way, I despise Elena Richardson, but in the end, I had compassion for her plight!
This book makes the reader think. During the courtroom scene, the characters talk about books and childrens' dolls as mirrors and as a parent and teacher, I could not agree more.
I am definitely putting other books by Celeste Ng on my reading list. ( )

A nice book, a well-rounded story, well written. I read this book at a leisurely pace and while for me, it was not a page-turner, I was interested in every page. I would recommend this book and will try Ms. Ng's other writings. ( )

Wow...just one of those beautifully written stories that will just stay with you for a long time to come. The ending brought tears to my eyes and I was sad to say goodbye when I finished that last page. Great book! ( )

The Richardson's are well-to do parents with careers outside their home in Ohio. He as a lawyer and she as a journalist. They have four teenage children. They own another property which they end up renting out to a single mother, Mia, who is an artist and she becomes their housekeeper. The children are very involved in school activities. Moody the third child,becomes close friends with Pearl, their housekeeper's daughter. Pearl spends a lot of time with the Richardson kids and becomes important to each of the children in her own way. Mia learns many secrets of the Richardson's as she cleans, cooks and becomes a confidante to some of the children. She soon realizes that a friend of the Richardson's adopted a baby and she knows who the mother is. If you enjoy a book that slowly reveals all of its secrets, this is a good book. ( )

I'm glad I saw the show before reading the book. Had I read the book before the show came out, I may not have watched the show. For the most part, the show was true to the book but I enjoyed the show much more than the book.

The book starts out with Mrs. (Elena) Richardson standing on her lawn in her bathrobe watching her house burn. Three of her 4 children are behind her but she does not know where her 4th child, Izzy, is. She fears that Izzy is the one who set the house on fire.

Then, the story goes back to when Mia and Pearl Warren arrive in town and are in need of a place to rent. They rent part of Mrs. Richardson's rental property and start to get situated in the neighborhood. The neighborhood that has rules - grass cannot be over a certain length, houses on one side of the street can only be "this" color while houses on the other side can be "that" color.

Pearl becomes friends with Mrs. Richardson's kids - Moody, Trip, Lexie and Izzy - and they hang out and spend time together. Izzy forms a bond with Pearl's mom, Mia who is an artist. Mia also works at a Chinese restaurant when she befriends a waitress there who had left her baby outside a fire station some months prior. Mia also becomes a cleaner for Mrs. Richardson. Mrs. Richardson realizes Mia isn't what she says she is and starts looking into her background.

Meantime, Mia realizes that the baby her co-worker left at the fire station may be adopted by friends of Mrs. Richardson's and she convinces the baby's birth mom to pursue custody of her baby. ( )