I loved this novel! Big Little Lies by Australian novelist Liane Moriarty is one of those books I might have overlooked had it not been a library-sponsored book club selection.
Big Little Lies takes place in Pirriwee, a fictitious small town in Australia. The story centers on three women: funny, vivacious Madeline; beautiful, wealthy Celeste; and young, single, introverted Jane whose son is accused of bullying. Madeline and Celeste are already friends, and they befriend Jane on their children’s kindergarten orientation day. Each woman has her mystery. Madeline still fumes about her first husband’s behavior, Celeste carries a dark secret, and Jane bears a sadness about her past.
From the beginning, the reader knows that something bad happened on the school’s traditional Trivia Night. Dialogs appear throughout the story between a group of people who speculate on the various causes and perpetrators of the incident.
As the story develops, we delve into the three women’s families. We learn how the little lies we tell ourselves in order to survive can backfire, that what appears to be a perfect family can dissipate before our eyes. Violence can lurk where you least expect it.
Big Little Lies is a funny book—at times I laughed right out loud. But it’s also a story of depth and perception. For an insightful book on family dynamics, I highly recommend this novel.