Big Little Lies

by Liane Moriarty

published by Putnam

2014

My Review

This book reminded me very much or Moriarty’s previous novel- The Husband’s Secret.  It starts out light and fun, seems to be a yummy mummy type of book, then WOW- it is so much more.  I feel like it is maybe a quarter of the way into the book before you realize that Moriarty cloaks wonderful story telling under some fluffy characters, then slyly slips in some wonderful deep characters too.  This was a great story set in a place I want to live- a lovely little beach town in Australia.  All three of the main characters- Celeste, Maddy, and Jane unfold before us and show us that there is always more than what you see.   This was one I could not put down.  I know I am a little late to the party with this one, but I was actually on the wait list for this baby for over two months at the library!  If you are one of the few people out there who have not read this, get on it!!

Summary

Sometimes it’s the little lies that turn out to be the most lethal. . . .
A murder… . . . a tragic accident… . . . or just parents behaving badly?
What’s indisputable is that someone is dead.   But who did what?
Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads:   Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).
Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.   New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.
Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.