White Oleander

It’s been a long time since a book affected me the way this novel by Janet Fitch did. The only word that truly defines it is “compelling.”
This is the story of a young girl who suddenly finds her world turned upside down when her mother goes to prison for murder. She is now thrust into the world of foster care and is placed in a variety of homes. They range from dysfunctional to abusive to loving to ambivalent.
Along the way, she meets some friends who she could easily learn to love, but her mother’s jealous hand somehow reaches out from behind bars to thwart any chance at normalcy she may find.
I would classify this as one of the best books I’ve ever read and I considered giving it five books, but the ending was not at all what I expected. It seemed hurried, as if Fitch wasn’t quite sure how to finish it. It was the one disappointment I had with the novel.
Other than that, it’s one of the few novels I would seriously consider reading again and I hope you will also take the time to try this book.