White Oleander: A Novel (original 1999; udgave 2001)

Complex relationship between Mom and daughter ranging from love to hatred as their lives change. Yet human spirit survives successfully. Had a hard time with a 14 yr old girl doing all that she does, sexually active with 40 yr old while using drugs, survived enough to do variations of it again. Stops doing it all to become great student with different foster home, then goes back to it all with the drugs again. Having a mother leave her, come back, be OK Mom, then mentally loses it enough to murder, become controlling Mom to ruin a foster placement and become famous poet while in jail. Not enough of a poetry lover to enjoy the writing. ( )

Flew through this. I finally got a chance to read this novel (it was in my library since 1999!!!!) & It was perfect. ( )

Flew through this. I finally got a chance to read this novel (it was in my library since 1999!!!!) & It was perfect. ( )

"This was how girls left. They packed up their suitcases and walked away in high heels."

"It reminded me that there were snakes that stunned their prey with their breath."

"Crickets stroke their legs like pool players lining up shots."

Many years ago, I first watched White Oleander and decided that I would someday be a foster parent. The movie had such an impact on me and has stayed with me through the years.

How poetic and perfect it is that now is when I chose to read this book. My wife and I are currently learning more information about potentially adopting or fostering a child. This book is exactly what I needed at this time.

Astrid is 14 years old when her mother, a poet, is sent to prison for murder. Astrid is sent to her own prison - foster care. In the years that follow, Astrid bounces from one foster house to the next, thanks to a combination of bad decisions and even worse luck. The things she goes through are unimaginable and heartbreaking.

The writing in this novel is so unexpectedly lovely that it is what really drives it forward. The dark and tragic events that take place are a stark contrast to the quiet, lyrical writing style utilized by Fitch. The imagery and descriptions are so magical that they will punch you right in the gut. I'm the type of reader that is very plot-driven. Typically, novels like this with long, flowery descriptions tend to bore me and I find myself skipping over whole paragraphs. Not here. I was hanging onto every letter.

I absolutely loved this work. This isn't the kind of book that you will love so much that you want to scream it from the mountains and throw it at everyone you know until they start reading it. It's the kind of soft, quiet heartbreak that you want to hide under your pillow and cherish. ( )

The title made me a little nervous--generally novels with flower names set off alarm bells--but this was my beloved book group's choice for January, so I plunged in. Probably I should spend some time seriously thinking about why, almost instantly, my heart was sinking, but the reality is we all have our tastes and this style of writing doesn't stir anything in me but a desire to run howling from the room. For others it could well be a delight. First person, narrator, starts out a tween to early teen age and goes on to young adult, has a mother Ingrid, a poet, insanely beautiful (daughter presumably will also be) who commits a murder, motive jealousy. Off the girl goes to foster care. My main complaint is that I just couldn't buy any of it, the story felt made up to me, purposefully shocking and definitely histrionic. Sometimes the first person can make everything seem more extreme and, ironically, can throw the narrator's credibility in question. Well anyway, if you enjoyed it, don't mind me, I am sometimes fickle and definitely a curmudgeon.

And no, I am not going to book group tonight, don't want to be a spoilsport and can't trust myself to keep my mouth shut! ( )