White Oleander
A Novel
Book - 2006 | First Back Bay trade paperback edition
The unforgettable story of a young woman's odyssey through a series of Los Angeles foster homes on her journey to redemption.
Everywhere hailed as a novel of rare beauty and power, White Oleander tells the unforgettable story of Ingrid, a brilliant poet imprisoned for murder, and her daughter, Astrid, whose odyssey through a series of Los Angeles foster homes-each its own universe, with its own laws, its own dangers, its own hard lessons to be learned-becomes a redeeming and surprising journey of self-discovery.
Everywhere hailed as a novel of rare beauty and power, White Oleander tells the unforgettable story of Ingrid, a brilliant poet imprisoned for murder, and her daughter, Astrid, whose odyssey through a series of Los Angeles foster homes-each its own universe, with its own laws, its own dangers, its own hard lessons to be learned-becomes a redeeming and surprising journey of self-discovery.
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Publisher:
Boston :, Back Bay Books,, [2006]
Edition:
First Back Bay trade paperback edition
Copyright Date:
©1999
ISBN:
9780316284950
Branch Call Number:
F FIT
Characteristics:
446, 15 pages ; 21 cm
Comment
Add a CommentThis has been my favorite book since about the fifth grade. Now I'm almost 24 and I still love it dearly.
The writing of this is beautiful but I just couldn’t finish it. I really disliked the characters and felt like the main character was going from one tragedy to another which I think is the author’s point but after 400 pages (and another 100+ to go) I put it down because I realized I didn’t care what happened to the characters.
Sad but gripping. A heartbreaking tale of foster care poor parenting.
A very unusual read but enjoyable.
I like this book very much. I'm still reading it. I have to keep reminding myself it is not a memoir or autobiography. Very well done.
Great read! As I was reading, I thought readers who enjoyed The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt would also enjoy this book.
This book was an absolute page turner. I read this entire book in one session. The book follows through Astrid's experience in foster care after her mother commits murder. As a former foster care youth, there were many situations that were captured perfectly by Janet Fitch.
Having re-read this book recently, I found it as good as the first time (1999). Even though I remembered much of Astrid and Ingrid's difficult story, I found myself drawn in because the book is beautifully written -- the language and phrasing is haunting and evocative.
The writing, at times, comes off as prose poetry. It's beautiful and lyrical yet poisonous, just like the titular white oleander. The plot is rough- it follows Astrid growing in foster care as her mother is in prison for murder. There are dark sexual situations, abuse, violence, and drug use. Themes of forgiveness, familial bond, mother-daughter relationships, love, and loneliness as the human condition.
Astrid must grow up quickly in foster care after her mother is imprisoned for murder.