Annotation
A New York Times Bestseller Astrid is the only child of a single mother, Ingrid, a brilliant, obsessed poet. Astrid worships her mother and cherishes their private world full of ritual and mystery -- but their idyll is shattered when Ingrid falls apart over a lover. Deranged by rejection, she murders the man, and is sentenced to life in prison. White Oleander is the unforgettable story of Astrid's journey through a series of foster homes and her efforts to find a place herself in impossible circumstances. Each home is its own universe, with a new set of laws and lessons to be learned. With determination and humor, Astrid confronts the challenges of loneliness and poverty, and strives to learn who a motherless child in an indifferent world can become.
Awards
1999 Friends of Libraries U. S. A. Readers' Choice Award
Characters
| Name | Magnussen, Astrid |
| Gender | Female |
| Trait | Fatherless |
| Name | Magnussen, Ingrid |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Traits | Single mother |
| Convict | |
| Murderer | |
| Genre | Psychological Coming of age Fiction |
| Topics | Foster care Self-discovery Dysfunctional families Mothers and daughters Childhood trauma |
| Setting | Southern California |