Little Fires Everywhere

In March 2024 The Atlantic magazine published a list of great American novels of the past 100 years. There were many books on the list which I have but not got around to reading. Kevin Wilson's Nothing to See Here (2019) was one of these books which has languished unread, despite so many people recommending it to me. On 1 January 2025 I picked it up and was immediately engaged in this wonderfully hilarious story. 

Raised by a single mother, Lillian Breaker grew up poor. She was bright and studied hard to win a scholarship to an elite boarding school where she meets Madison Billings, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy family. The two share a dorm room and become fast friends, despite their differences. An act of poor judgement by Madison results in Lillian leaving the school. Madison continued on her trajectory to attend university and marry well, while Lillian continued on hers. Now 28, working two jobs in retail and living in her mum's attic, Lillian never lived up to her potential and escaped her circumstances. 

The two friends kept in touch, writing letters to one another. Madison's latest letter comes with an opportunity for work if Lillian is prepared to relocate to Tennessee. With nothing to lose, Lillian goes to Memphis and finds her friend living in a mansion with her Senator husband and their young son Timothy. The job offer is highly unusual. The Senator was married previously and has ten-year old twins, Roland and Bessie. Their mother has died and now they need to come and live with him. Would Lillian be a governess to the two children and ease their transition into the family?

Lillian has no skills in child-rearing and has no desire to be a parent. But she is kind of intrigued by one fascinating aspect - the twins have a rare condition which causes them to spontaneously combust. When they burst into flames they are unharmed, but all around them catch fire.  Lillian agrees to meet the children and realises that she may just be able to put her own childhood trauma to good use and make a difference in their lives. Over the summer Lillian throws herself into caring for these feral twins and does all she can to make sure they don't burn everything to the ground.

Nothing to See Here was such a fun novel to read. Lillian is such a quirky character and I absolutely loved her! She is a red hot mess, but is such a delightful narrator.  I enjoyed seeing how her relationship with the children unfurled. The premise of the story is utterly ridiculous but so well written and laugh out loud funny. Amongst the frivolity, Wilson has some serious messages about class and inequality. A really enjoyable novel to start off my reading year.