White Oleander

I had an emotional reaction to this book! White Oleander pulled me in from the very first page. It’s beautifully written but also raw and heartbreaking at times. The story follows Astrid, a girl whose life changes when her mother goes to prison, and she’s moved through a series of foster homes. Each place brings new challenges, heartbreak, and lessons about who she is and who she wants to become. What stood out to me is how vivid the writing is. You can feel the loneliness, the longing, and the resilience in Astrid. The characters are so real, and even when they’re flawed or unlikeable, you understand them. The relationship between Astrid and her mother is complicated and at times painful, but that’s what makes it so powerful—it shows how love and damage can be intertwined. This isn’t a light or easy read, but it’s the kind of book that lingers with you. It made me reflect on strength, survival, and finding yourself in the middle of chaos. If you like stories that are beautifully told and emotionally honest, I highly recommend it.

I think this will stay with me for a while. Captivating and beautifully written, it was haunting even though disturbing at times. A gripping and detailed journey of a foster child’s sad trek through childhood, and the love/ hate mother/ daughter relationship she was burdened with. Didn’t care for the ending, but a must- read nonetheless.

Beautiful book. I am Astrid.

Haunting, deeply moving book. This lovely, meandering epic coming of age story concerns Astrid and her mother Ingrid, who has been imprisoned for murder. Astrid goes through a handful of foster homes and all of the dysfunction that it entails. At times this book is moving, at other times shocking, it ultimately attempts to answer the question: why and how do mothers and daughters relate to each other? The depth of the writing is amazing for a "first" novel (Janet Fitch had actually been writing for at least a decade before this book was published). The only part I found a bit distracting was Astrid, the narrator's habit of needing to make even mundane details sound poetic. I suppose it was done for effect, to show the way she thinks, but it was at times tiresome. Of course, at other times, it was lyrical and beautiful and the prose soared. The subject matter can be shocking, as it includes explicit sexual descriptions, drug use and violence. it is never gratuitous, however, as it is intended to be an accurate portrayal of foster home life. There are many, many messages here, as Fitch is ambitious and covers a lot of themes- loneliness, sex, mothers and daughters,class issues, the racial divide and how women are treated in modern culture. Los Angeles as a setting is the third most important character in the book. Astrid's mother writes to her: "The best you'll ever do is to understand yourself, know what it is that you want, and not let the cattle stand in your way." And Astrid thinks: "I hated my mother but I craved her." Complex.

I love Astrid and was really swept in with her many experiences during foster care. I will most likely read this again in the future

Ms. Fitch's style is breathtaking. Im one of those voracious readers that reads four or five books at the same time, alternating after several chapters. But Fitch's writing was so captivating that I never changed up and read only this one until I finished it. I was engrossed from the first page with Astrid's life. Fitch brilliantly constructed and characterized irresistibly magnetic characters within each foster home. The book was nearly perfect. The only reason I would not give it a five is that at times I was not as completely absorbed after Astrid left the Richardses home. The stay with Rena was not as compelling as the others. And I was a little indifferent over the end. It wasnt horrible or exteremely disappointing, but it could have been a little better or given a little more. Still an absolute worthwhile read that will be on my bookshelf for years to come, hopefully along with more great works by this masterful writer. As far as being an Oprah's book club selection, Ive often wondered if a woman as seemingly busy as Oprah really and truly read absolutely every single selection ever picked, because although the book is deserving of the honor, would Oprah still have selected it knowing that Oprah herself is mentioned within the pages in a degrading manner and with racial slurs? Just a thought :-)

Overly done is what immediately comes to mind. It was OK. Not sure, really, what Oprah saw in this. It started out slow for me. Too lyrical, and the dialog was completely unrealistic, both of which are very distracting for me. It was as though the writer was trying to prove how poetic she was, but it was simply overdone. But once the mother got out of the way, that got a little better, and so did my attention span. Great character development, which is always important to me. Ms. Fitch did seem a little too overly descriptive to the point of repetition, but I know this was her first book so it can be forgiven. I also don't think it's necessary to include sexual exploitation of children by adults in a fictional story, but that's just personal taste. I'm no prude, but it's a little gratuitous to me. I found it interesting that this story, really, was a series of weak women, who all had very similar personality traits, allowing themselves to be treated like total doormats by the men in their lives, among them. Not sure if this was intentional, but it almost seemed coincidental because it didn't really make a connection to the outcome of the story. More could have and should have been done with that. It would be interesting to see how Astrid fared in her adulthood with so much (over) exposure to this type of dysfunction alone. If a sing-songy writing style through its entirety is your thing, maybe this is a good book. It's just not my thing. Although 3/4 of the book was fine, I felt the writer was just trying way too hard.

I own this book, have read is a dozen times- it never stops making me feel. As life has progressed different aspects and characters make sense and stop making sense. I’ve grown up with Astrid, I’m grateful for her.

“The body is the only reality,” thinks Astrid, as she watches over her friend who is giving birth, to a baby she knows she will have to give up for adoption. “I hurt therefore I am.” This is a book filled with pain and hurt, real hurt, the kind that makes you ache in your mind as well as your body. It’s not a book you will like very much, but it is a book you won’t be able to stop reading and in the end you’ll be glad you got to read it. You want very much to come upon a phrase that tells you that the protagonist has received some balm, some safety, some calm. This is an intensely realistic book that tells you of a child and her mother. The mother is a poet – and a kind of monster of self absorption. Her mistake is to believe she can get away with murder when her boyfriend throws her out. She will not rest until she has taken revenge. Astrid is a child and she is the one who pays when her mother is taken into custody. Now begins the trial of being a foster child. In one foster home the children are housed apart from their foster parents and consider themselves lucky if they are fed once a day. In another home, Astrid is attacked by neighbourhood dogs and badly scarred. In another she is shot by the jealous mother in whose care she has been left. I’m not going to say much more about the plot because to dwell on it inevitably reduces what can be said about misfortune of this kind. Astrid’s mother is in prison throughout this book, but she is a presence who cannot be denied. Her notoriety dogs Astrid’s footsteps and poisons her life. As she grows older Astrid learns to acquiesce in what she cannot control. It is a dreadful lesson that does not always stand her in good stead. This is an unrelentingly dark book, as tense and expectant as any thriller, and as beautifully presceient and gorgeously written as a book of found poetry. Fitch never overwrites, she has a fantastic sense of how to work a story to the bone. Her prose is rich and delicate. It is hypnotic, challenging, complex, and moving. I recommend this book wholeheartedly. It takes you by the guts and makes you want to cry, but it is shorn of sentiment and self-pity. Read it.

Poetic, intense, and unforgettable — a powerful exploration of a young woman’s search for self amidst brokenness. White Oleander is a haunting and beautifully written coming-of-age novel about a girl navigating loss, identity, and resilience after her mother’s imprisonment. Janet Fitch’s prose is lyrical and raw, painting vivid portraits of pain, beauty, and survival. The story is both heartbreaking and empowering, capturing how strength can grow from abandonment and chaos.

Ótimo para entender mais sobre a sutileza da violência.

good book

The mother daughter realtionship despicted in this book is very intense and difficult. I wouldn't read the book if I'm looking for light reading or distraction. It is a unique story whith many details about the life of foster children (which I suppose have been researched eben though the book is ficiton) which I didn't know anything about. I found it very moving.