The measures the girls had to take to survive were understandable. It was horrible to think someone could starve children the way she did and deny people food. It made me hate her as much as Astrid did in the end. Ingrid had a way of getting under everyone’s skill and she exploited this ability to undermine Astrid’s life with Claire. I think things would have turned out differently if Ingrid had never been involved I agree with Astrid on that number. It was just a matter of finding out what made Claire’s life imperfect. It was too good to believe that life had finally become simple for Astrid. I enjoyed it when Astrid was at Claire’s house. I think the escapism of it was part of the appeal. Astrid’s story itself was too unique for me to relate to. Even the ones that were in similar housing situations were composed very differently on the inside. Most of the characters were very different from me and my family. There wasn’t a lot I related to in this story. She was an addict and one little stumble led to freefall back to square one. She lost her religion, her man, and her family in such short succession that I wondered how much of it could be realistic but I think it all was.

She changed so much because of her jealousy and seeing her revert before Astrid’s eyes was incredible. She was a horrible person, but she was entertaining to watch. The differences between these houses were amazing and showcased Fitch’s ability to create new and interesting characters easily.

Claire’s world was the most mesmerizing, with its high-culture art and the allure of acting and producing. Marvel’s home was the most interesting to me since it’s what I’m afraid of suburban life becoming: brainwashed by a big TV and caring about my grey roots and my husband noticing I’m not 29 anymore. Each of the houses Astrid lived in was its own little worlds and they were created with great care. The variety of characters in this was wonderful. The Astrid who’s forced to sell her dress wouldn’t convert to Christianity like she did at Starr’s. It’s interesting to see how Astrid hardens from Starr’s house to Rena’s. They force her to learn independence and how to navigate life on her own. She lands in foster homes that are rough in one way or another. Her life with her mother is minimal but happy but when she’s ripped away, things change. Everywhere hailed as a novel of rare beauty and power, White Oleander tells the unforgettable story of Ingrid, a brilliant poet imprisoned for murder, and her daughter, Astrid, whose odyssey through a series of Los Angeles foster homes–each its own universe, with its own laws, its own dangers, its own hard lessons to be learned–becomes a redeeming and surprising journey of self-discovery.Īstrid’s story is beautiful and ugly at the same time.

White oleander novel