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Summary: A true masterpiece by first time novelist Janet Fitch
Review: Ingrid Magnussen prides herself on being beautiful and highly sophisticated, and oh so intriguing. She lives her life to manipulate and seduce men. Until she is backstabbed by the one man who she thought would never possess her. With this, she murders him and leaves her 12 year old daughter, Astrid, to fend for herself. Astrid is then put through a series of foster homes, experiencing a life with different mothers of peculiar personalities. In each of her homes, she finds herself in the worst case scenerio possible. I give this book five stars because of the extraordinary writing ability that Janet Fitch possess and for the story that touches the heart genuinely and captivates the reader.
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Summary: May Result in Addicton
Review: This story of self-discovery embraces the difficulty of the dynamic relationship between a mother and a daughter. The unconventional parenting styles of Ingrid and the damage that scars her young daughter. Astrid brings us through her raw,arduous journey into womanhood. We get to experience the struggles between embracing who Astrid believes she is and who she wants to become, and how to break free from the past that haunts her. "Loneliness is the human condition," is her mother's quote that follows her and she begins to believe that she deserves no better.This is one of the greatest pieces of contemporary fiction that I've read in years. Janet Fitch is a truly classic author with an incredible skill in describing the spectrum of human emotions. She draws you in with her seductive plot and leaves you wanting more. You won't want to put it down!
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Summary: Excellent review of a child in foster care...
Review: This is such a terrific store of Astrid's journey through life. The story begins in such a wonderful manner with the relationship between her mother and herself. Coming from a single-parent, divorced home, I immediately related to the character. Janet Fitch describes California with perfection. And, the 'vision' of foster care which we would like to dream is true, is hashed out through her words. The young girl, Astrid, takes a journey from a trailer-trash world to that of a Yuppie, wonderful home where she's given everything. Watching her grow through the emotions of loving and loss is a remarkable experience. I would not recommend the movie - too many blank holes, but the book is fantastic!
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Summary: White Oleander is a Novel Unlike Any Other
Review: White Oleander exposes truth about a subject rarely written about, the plight of a little girl in foster care. It reveals the harsh reality of what these children go through in a smart, sensitive and painfully truthful manner.
Ingrid is a woman who prides herself on being stong and dominant. Manipulative and cold she has never allowed herself to feel any real positive emotion for fear it will make her weak. She teaches her young daughter:" We are the Vikings, we are the ones who sacked Rome.", and to never apologize, never explain. She meets a man and falls in love for the first time. Her lover leaves her and she gets revenge. She poisons him and is sent to prison for life. Meanwhile she leaves behind a young, vulnerable , innocent daughter who is not wise to the survival instincts of her mother. White Oleander shows us the foster hell this child goes through and how she finds ways to survive. It speaks of the strength of the human spirit, Ingrid must survive prison life and Astrid must endure foster hell. She encounters memorable yet sad charactes such a Starr, a bible thumping mama who is all but saintly and Claire a neglected housewife who shows Astrid what true love is really all about. Rena shows Astrid about the ways of the world. White Oleander is beautifully written and the author displays wisdom far beyond her years. It is a novel of the highest quality and will stay with you long after you've read it.
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Summary: Poison Pen
Review: Janet Finch took socially intriguing topics and put into our hands one of the most brilliant novels of all time. A stunning novel on so many levels, it is nearly impossible to adequately review the book and do it justice. Her original story line is ripe with raw emotions, a coming of age story that is as bittersweet and disturbing as it gets. An unlucky child is burdened with a mother suffering from mental illness, remarkable intelligence and a proclivity to torturing her daughter with her words. The unlucky, young child is separated from the mother by the courts, and the child is left to make due in whatever foster home is available at the moment. The child must adjust, as children do, and take from their experiences that in which they can. In the rare moments of true happiness, there shall always be the mother, and her words of poison from prison.
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Summary: A different world
Review: At first when I saw this book being featured by Oprah I thought that it would be a sappy feminsit type of book. However, I could not have been so wrong with characters like Ingrid, Marvel,Claire, Ameila, Starr, Rena, Ray and I could go on and on with each of these dynamic individuals and lets not forget Astrid. I savored this book like a fine wine reading and studying each word that was written by Ms. Fitch. Astrid to me was a girl that was protected by her mother's world and when her mother had to go to prison that world went away. Astrid went from foster home to foster home, but at each one of these foster homes Astrid was taught some lesson about life at Starr's she learned about god, Amelia taught her how to suffer, Marvel showed her predjudice, jealousy and family, Claire's lesson was that life was very fragile and Rena's lesson was you have to be tough in life. However, Astrid's mother Ingrid always told her "keep your bags packed", which meant don't get too accumstomed to your current living situation, because that could change in no time at all. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and would recommend it to anyone male or female.
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Summary: Exquisite
Review: This book is among my favorites. Fitch writes with a poetic style that captured my interest. She uses beautiful similes and description. This heartwrenching book is definitely worth reading again and again.
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Summary: Beautifully Written
Review: I simply adored this book. I loved the imagery, and the prose, and the tragic beauty of the story. This is a wonderful coming-of-age novel, that suits our society. Specifically, the characters are wonderfully developed, and the details woven by Fitch demonstrate problems and corruption that are so prevalent in the foster care system. The book is full of symbolistic elements, planted by the author. Keep your eyes open while reading. Notice the details, because they are a crucial element of the story. The ending is simple, and real. It's uplifting, but doesn't leave you wanting more. Fitch does not insult her readers with a happy-ever-after tale. Instead, we see a girl grow into a woman capable of standing on her own.
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Summary: So Disappointing
Review: I was so disappointed in this book. It was laborious and hard to keep your attention focused on what was happening. I finally skimmed the last half, not missing much. It went on forever. I also found the details of Astrid's life to sometimes be vulgar and disgusting. I can't believe Oprah recommended this book.
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Summary: What a great read....
Review: I was pleased by Fitch's writing as well as the story of Astrid. One feels bad for Astrid's plights/experiences and for her mother's (Ingrid)coldness but I really enjoyed this book. Though long, it did not disappoint and the ending was what I expected.
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