Women's Lit Annotation - Big Little Lies

Author: Liane Moriarty

Title: Big Little Lies

Genre: Women's Relationships

Publication Date: July 29, 2014

Number of Pages: 460

Geographical Setting: Australia

Time Period: Present


  Big Little Lies tell the story of three women at very pivotal points in their lives. Madeline, a mother of three, is funny, passionate, and brutally honest. She is struggling with her ex-husband and his wife living in the same community, they both have a child in the same kindergarten class and their daughter from their marriage likes his new wife better than her. Celeste is beautiful, it's all anyone notices about her. Her, her husband and their twin boys are the envy of everyone, they seem to have it all but at what price? Jane is a young, single mother who is new to town. Madeline and Celeste quickly bring Jane into their little group and try to protect her from the other Kindergarten moms. This book explores the relationships between these women, ex-husbands and much more.

Davitt Award for Best Adult Novel (2015), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction (2014)

This book is a great example of Women's Literature with its focus on the relationship between three women all at a different place in their lives. The book alternates between narration from all three characters points of view. This provides a unique look at each of their personal struggles and how friendships are more important than ever.  None of the women's lives are perfect, they each struggle with something, this is a great example that no one's life is perfect even though it may appear so on the outside.

HBO has made a miniseries consisting of seven episodes that started airing on February 19, 2017. Reese Witherspoon stars as Madeline, Nicole Kidman plays Celeste, and Shailene Woodley is Jane. HBO describes the series as a dark comedy and drama.



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Each of these novels explores relationships and real life issues.