& # 39; Little Fires Everywhere & # 39;, author Celeste Ng talks Hulu Adaptation

New York Times bestselling writer discusses adaptation of bestselling novel, what she hopes viewers will get out of the story and why it will help audiences learn to look at "the whole picture".

(This story contains spoilers for Small fires everywhere.)

Celeste Ng's success story in 2017 Small fires everywhere starts with a spark of flame – literally.

The novel opens with the house of Elena and Bill Richardson burnt to the ground, with the circumstances of the origin of the fire not completely known. Readers are soon introduced to the elite Richardson family who connects with artist Mia Warren and daughter Pearl after Mia rents Richardson-owned property and is employed by them to cook and clean. But tensions rise between the two families when Shaker Heights is divided by a battle for custody of an Asian-American baby girl, May Ling Chow, between her Chinese immigrant mother and the rich white couple hoping to adopt her. .

Elena and her husband support their friends, the McCulloughs, while Mia fights for May Ling's mother, Bebe, to recover her child. It was during the trial that the relationship between Elena and Mia became strained.

At first glance, the two mothers are considered to be opposite. Elena is a journalist who respects order, stability and heritage (her family has been in Shaker Heights for generations), while Mia can be considered a free girl, traveling to various places with her daughter as she approaches her next artistic project.

The story derives from Ng's vision to put her novel in Shaker Heights, Ohio, where she lived in the 1990s. The novel's initial assumption is that the city has good intentions, but at As the battle for custody continues, it becomes evident that residents are blind to their privilege and are soon forced to face their obvious unconscious bias.

"It was a time when we thought we somehow had it all together as a country," Ng says now. The Hollywood Reporter. "We thought we were post-racial. Although in retrospect, I don't really know why. We thought it was a period of" girl power "and we never had a female secretary or a military woman general. We had a feeling that the world was somehow understood … And of course, it was before September 11, because we quickly saw how all these things we thought were going well , in fact, there were all these problems simmering beneath the surface. "

After the book was released in 2017, it was clear that the story resonated with readers for its underlying themes of racism, sexism, identity, class and motherhood. The novel spent 48 weeks on the New york times hardcover fiction bestseller list and over 40 weeks on the pocket list. Small fires everywhere was also chosen as a book club selection for Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine book club, which Ng said ultimately brought his work to a "different audience". "People who may not have taken my book might be ready to try it because they trust its taste," says Ng.

Ng's book gained more recognition as showrunner Liz Tigelaar, who worked on the AppleTV + series The Morning Show, helped bring the story to life on screen in the limited series of eight episodes of Hulu with Witherspoon and Kerry Washington in the role of Elena and Mia. Ng is producer of the series.

Although, overall, the story may seem centered on the mystery of Mia's past and the battle for custody, it is the outcome of the Shaker Heights community which not only has a impact on formerly perfect residents, but presents the idea that sometimes an interruption is necessary for change – something, says Ng, could resonate with the current climate.

"This family realizes that in reality all of these problems have crept under the surface and I think this is really the mirror that looks like what we are going through right now," says Ng.

In a conversation with THR ahead of the show's premiere on Wednesday, Ng discussed unpacking the novel's underlying themes for the screen, what she hopes viewers will take away from the story and why the story History helps remind people that the "way you see things" may not be "the whole picture".

How did the process of adapting your book go, especially taking on the role of producer?

It was an incredible experience. I am grateful to Reese, Kerry, the showrunner Liz Tigelaar and everyone involved, for allowing me to be a voice at the table. I have always wanted to give each adaptation the Space to become its own thing, but I appreciate the amount of involvement and input they have allowed me to have. I felt involved every step of the way – I spoke with Lauren Neustadter and the producers of Hello Sunshine as they planned, I got to visit the writers room, I got read all the scripts and I was able to visit the set. At every point, literally every person, from writers to cameramen, had a palpable love and respect for the book. They all seem to have the book and what it is about – so even when they make adjustments or twists and turns for the adaptation, they feel loyal to the characters and story that I have created.

When writing Small fires everywhere, have you ever considered adapting it? What do you think of the adaptation of a series compared to a film?

When I write, I try to never think about the book that is being published, let alone be adapted. Thinking about how it will be received is often the kiss of death for a story – I am beginning to question myself and I can never finish. So finishing a story is always the first step; all that comes after, from publication to adaptation, is whipped cream and cherries on top. That said, I am delighted that it is specifically adapted as a series – I think it is the right form to present it on screen. What I learn is that for a feature film, you have to condense; in a series, you have 6-10 hours of screen time, which gives you more space for developing shades and characters. In this case, because there is such a complicated storyline and there are so many characters, having a series looks like good form.

The adaptation stars Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, both of whom expressed how important the fans of your story are. How did you feel about this and were you in contact with Reese throughout the decision-making process of adapting the book?

Reese and Kerry are both such readers, which means they bring a real appreciation of the novel to the adaptation – and I am very grateful for that. Even though the series will have some changes from the book – it's a different form, after all! – they were so respectful of my work and me, and I think it was because they were first readers (and fans). Reese suggested launching Kerry very early, and I loved the idea. I have long been a fan of Kerry, of course, but I also loved the idea of ​​making Mia a black woman, and focusing some of the questions on race and class that the novel raises, to through the cast of Kerry. It was a great cast and as soon as I heard it, I was on board.

Although the book takes place in the 1990s, the story may still resonate with the current climate while the problems of racism, sexism, identity, class and motherhood still exist.

I created the book in the 90s because it was the time of Shaker Heights in which I lived. It made sense to situate history there because in my memory it was a time when we thought we somehow had everything together as a country. We thought we were post-racial. Although, in retrospect, I don't really know why. We thought it was a period of "girl power" and we never had a secretary or a military woman. We felt that the world was somehow understood … And of course, it was before September 11, because we quickly saw how all these things we thought were going well, in fact, there had all these problems simmering beneath the surface.

Readers and viewers learn the stories of Mia and Elena and see tensions build up in their relationship, but the story never seems to lead the audience to a certain side. What do you hope people get out of their relationship?

In the novel, I didn't want the reader to walk away thinking, "Oh, he's the hero and he's the bad guy. I wanted them to see that in fact it is very complicated and that the person they were perhaps sympathetic to at first has another side and other things that They may be questioning. At first they thought, they could think, "I have no idea why she would do that. They do not like it and do not agree with it. You will come back and see it in a more complex way. And I think this show does such a good job. I actually think with each character developed during the series. You see that your perception of them is changing.

They are so often described as polar opposites. We somehow forget that it means that you are two poles of the same magnet, which means that if you push away the other half of you. This will get nowhere. This is part of what makes their dynamics so complicated. And Reese and Kerry have done a great job and I think I show you all the little changes in every scene they are together.

When the book was first published, it sounded to many readers for its underlying messages, but do you think the reaction will be stronger now given the number of people who speak out on issues such as rights women, race and identity?

I mean it's obviously still a process and we still have a long way to go, but I feel like people are more and more open to talking about these things. For a long time, we simply agreed not to talk about it. These conversations are really uncomfortable, but in the end, if they can help us understand each other better and not necessarily agree, but you can say, "I see why you did this. For me, this is really a good thing. You watch the characters wake up to things we don't know or don't wake up to things you don't know and you're cringe because you see it. I think this is the effect that we hope viewers will take away and start "letting their heads spin and checking my own blind spot".

What do you hope people will take away from this story and these characters?

The simple fact of recognizing that the way you see things may not be all. This is still what I aim for as a fiction writer. And I think the TV show does a great job in some way of doing it visually.

Following the success of Small fires everywhere delivered and now with the recognition she has received from the series, does that make you feel pressured to make your next story something that readers will enjoy just as much?

I still feel this pressure, but it comes as much from the inside as it does from the outside. Sure, I want my readers to enjoy my next book – but as an artist, I also want to challenge myself and push myself into new territories. It means exploring new stories and characters, and I hope readers will trust me and come wherever I go next.

Do you have new books in the works and could you even explore the role of producer in other projects?

I am working on my next novel, which is a slow process but which fascinates me. I think my main form will always be fiction – and probably novels – but I like to explore new ways of telling stories, including on film, so never say never, I guess.