Although reading a wide variety of books is beneficial, sometimes everyone just wants to pick up a book by a familiar author. That’s what I did this week when I read Liane Moriarty’s “Big Little Lies.”
The author wasn’t the only reason I chose this book. An HBO mini-series based on the book premiered Sunday, and the advertising made me curious enough to not only tune in to the first episode, but also to pick up this book and see how it would compare.
Since only one episode has aired so far, I’ll have to wait and see how the series differs from the novel. Until then, I’ll stick to the contents of the book.
The novel centers around the lives of three upper-middle class women whose children have just started kindergarten.
There’s the stiletto-wearing Madeline Mackenzie who, despite her love for gossip and conflict, has a compassionate nature. Compassionate enough to take Jane Chapman, who is new to town, under her wing.
Jane is desperate for a new start for her and her son, and being both a single mother and younger than the other kindergarten parents, simply wants her son to fit in. After befriending Madeline on the day of kindergarten orientation, she finds herself also becoming friends with Celeste Wright, an astonishingly beautiful woman harboring a dark secret about her seemingly perfect marriage.
Throughout the novel, the other parents of the kindergarten class act as witnesses to a murder, which occurs during the school’s annual Trivia Night. The announcement of the murder so early in the story makes the audience want to keep reading not only to learn what happened, but to see which character ultimately meets their end.
The testimony the parents provide is hardly serious, as they get many facts wrong and seem more concerned with their own lives, but it keeps the tone of the story light. What Moriarty does well throughout the novel is mix in the darker subject matter with the mundane issues of parenting.
As the parents of kindergarten students, the women face catty comments, bullying accusations and doubt in their own parenting skills that are menial in the grand scheme of things. Celeste is not the only character keeping a dark secret, and as the novel counts down to Trivia Night the audience might be able to piece together some of the plot points.
However, in my opinion, the climax of the novel does not disappoint.
Although Moriarty is able to generally keep things light, there are times when the more sinister aspects of the story take root.
The balance between light and dark was what made the book so enjoyable. It was an easy read, and the scenes shifted between the main characters effortlessly.
The book explores the idea of women who keep secrets in order to survive a world dominated by men. While this book might not appeal to everyone, it was definitely worth repeating an author for this week’s column.
kchrisco@iu.edu
@katiechrisco
