Amazon.com
Oprah Book Club® Selection, May 1999: Astrid Magnussen, the teenage narrator of Janet Fitch's engrossing first novel, White Oleander, has a mother who is as sharp as a new knife. An uncompromising poet, Ingrid despises weakness and self-pity, telling her daughter that they are descendants of Vikings, savages who fought fiercely to survive. And when one of Ingrid's boyfriends abandons her, she illustrates her point, killing the man with the poison of oleander flowers. This leads to a life sentence in prison, leaving Astrid to teach herself the art of survival in a string of Los Angeles foster homes.
As Astrid bumps from trailer park to tract house to Hollywood bungalow, White Oleander uncoils her existential anxieties. "Who was I, really?" she asks. "I was the sole occupant of my mother's totalitarian state, my own personal history rewritten to fit the story she was telling that day. There were so many missing pieces." Fitch adroitly leads Astrid down a path of sorting out her past and identity. In the process, this girl develops a wire-tight inner strength, gains her mother's white-blonde beauty, and achieves some measure of control over their relationship. Even from prison, Ingrid tries to mold her daughter. Foiling her, Astrid learns about tenderness from one foster mother and how to stand up for herself from another. Like the weather in Los Angeles--the winds of the Santa Anas, the scorching heat--Astrid's teenage life is intense. Fitch's novel deftly displays that, and also makes Astrid's life meaningful

Release planned for Friday, November 07, 2003 at Bookcrosser's home in postal release, postal release USA.

TBR - Thanks!

LOGOphelia

I just finished this book this weekend. It was powerful and at times disturbing, but less lyrical than I expected it to be -- in fact, it seems that the author's desire to be "literary" bogged down the pacing of the story. However, it was intriguing, and now I want to go rent the movie!

Just received this in the mail today. Thank you LOGOphelia! Looks like a good one. I will be reading it soon.

Released on Friday, March 12, 2004 at Mailed to a fellow Bookcrosser in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

Sent this off to fuchur as part of a trade. Thanks fuchur!

I am so happy it did arrive finally! Dawnmoffour sent this one to me from Canada as a controlled release and I am really looking forward to reading it! Thank you, Dawn!

Released on Wednesday, June 02, 2004 at controlled release in Berlin, Germany Controlled Releases.

I am sending this book to karschtl. She won it in a book quiz organised by me. I hope you will enjoy it!

Came today in the mail.
Can't read it right now, but will eventually. And I promise to take special care of it.
Danke nach Berlin!!!
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My Review: June 2005

Since our theme for the next Meet-Up is books that were made into movies, I finally had a good reason to read this book. I thought that the book was very well written and I enjoyed reading it.

On the other hand I was also sorry for Astrid and all the bad things that happened to her. Whenever she encountered anything good, it was taken away from her again. Very sad and depressing. Makes me even more thankful for the fact that I had a normal childhood and loving parents that are still there for me whenever I need them. But I'm also aware that there are many kids that live a life similar to that of Astrid - or an even worst. A lot of children don't even have a home, don't have their own bed or don't have anything to eat.

I was glad that the book ended on a postive note and that Astrid finally sees some hope for her future.

RELEASE NOTES:

Wird zur Ladies Night, Thema "Filmbücher", mitgenommen.

Hatte Mühe das Buch zu journalen, weil ich zuerst dachte die letzte Ziffer sei eine 1 nicht eine 7, habe aber noch mal die Kurve gekratzt. Thanka you!

RELEASE NOTES:

Will be released at the Diamondlucy meeting.

Habe das Buch heute wieder mitgenommen. Wollte nicht, dass es unter die Räder gerät und zudem hat mir das Buch auch sehr gut gefallen und ich werd es vielleicht noch ein zweites Mal lesen. Außerdem war es ja mein erstes Quiz-Gewinnbuch, das liegt mir doch etwas am Herzen.
Werde es also erstmal eine Weile bei mir behalten, leihe es aber bei Interesse auch gern.