The book White Oleander was very interesting but at times was very hard to read. The beginning of the book was the most challenging because it didn’t get off to a good start. It was very boring and I had to force myself to keep reading but after a few chapters the book began to get interesting. After those first couple of chapters, I found myself never wanting to put the book down.
White Oleander was the debut book for author Janet Fitch. Janet Fitch was born November 9, 1955 in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from Reed College, in Portland, Oregon, and from Keele University in England. Fitch had wanted to become a historian, but on her twenty-first birthday she decided to begin writing fictional books. So far she has a total of three books, and in her spare time, she teaches fiction to students at the University of Southern California.
White Oleander is a story of a mother-daughter relationship, and the search for ones identity. It tells the story of 11 year old girl named Astrid Magnussen and her feminist poet mother Ingrid. When Astrid mother is sent to jail for killing her ex-lover with poisons from white oleander flowers, Astrid Magnussen now has to find the way to adulthood through a series of Los Angeles foster families and juvenile homes.
Janet Fitch has a very unique writing style. She goes into a lot of detail and makes you feel like you are there. She also entices the readers throughout the story with her language and twists.
The book White Oleander opened my eyes to what life was like for kids who are in foster homes. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good book.