White Oleander

[kittywitty]

I am just now reading this book (10 pages left to finish!). Has anyone else read it?

It is really heart breaking. I am finding so many similarities to my own life and this book. Especially the mother and my own mother. And the look at the foster system is just heart wrenching. Anyone want to discuss?

[Susana]

White Oleander is one of my top 3 favorite books of all time. I can't relate to the mother/daughter relationship at all personally, but Astrid's story affected me in so many ways. The last line of the book still comes to me every once in a while...it broke my heart when I read it the first time. I should read that book again...it's been awhile since I picked it up last.

[Babytime]

I found the book to be so disturbing and yet at the same time fascinating. I cried several times.

[Susana]

did you finish it dnw? how did you like the ending???

[Valkyrie9]

It was a great story, but what really caught me the most was the author's writing style. She was so...lyrical? Something about her descriptions just drew me in.

[kittywitty]

I finished it. It was really good. I am glad her mother actually showed her love and compassion at the end. Very different from my ending, and it really made me cry. Overall a good book. I really appreciated her writing style, too. I will have to see if she has more books out.

[UnschoolnMa]

Read it a few years back and then saw the movie. Heart wrenching, beautiful, and vivid.

[*daciaperfect*]

i thought the book was absolutely amazing. i can read it over and over again. i do feel a lot of astrid being that my relationship with my mother was strained, and i had expereinced some similar situations growing up as were in the book.

the movie was good, but paled in comparison.

[Susana]

daciaperfect, I thought the movie was surprisingly good as well. The actress who played Astrid was wonderful and just how I pictured her looking as I read the book. Love the soundtrack too.

[PiePie]

I read this book and totally loved it.

[Imogen]

I started to read this book a couple of years ago, but couldn't finish it. I found it so utterly depressing and draining. I would like to see the film however...maybe I will rent it this weekend if I remember. Maybe I found it so hard going because my older sister spent 5 years of her life in the care home/foster care environment. I don't know

Peace

[Awaken]

Originally Posted by Babytime

I found the book to be so disturbing and yet at the same time fascinating. I cried several times.

Same here. I loved this book, yet I found it very depressing and hard to read. It's been several years and I still think about it fairly often.

[becoming]

I just finished this one and loved it. I love Finch's style of writing. I have another book of hers, "Paint It Black," that I need to read as well.

[LeslieB]

I actually carried this entire book (it's huge!) in my backpack while I hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2003. I picked up a copy along the way at a hostel and started reading it. I couldn't put it down so I got my own copy and packed it out. I read it almost every night in the tent before bed until I finished it. So worth the extra weight.
Something about the book just truly touched me. I could almost feel the wind blowing on me when she wrote about the Santa Ana winds.
I think I need to read this again.

[grisandole]

I love that book, I read it on my honeymoon. It was the best part of my honeymoon, actually! Being nauseous and pregnant and in Wisconsin in the winter wasn't too fun.

[Smokering]

Yes; I saw the movie first, because it played at the theatre where I worked, and then came across the book some time later and read it out of curiosity. It's a good read; I liked it.

[angelachristin]

This is my favorite book of all time...I used to live in Los Angeles, too, and the way she wrote about my city...I can't put it into words, but I read the book over and over again and see my Los Angeles again.

[Jetka]

I read this a few years ago and I just love it! It really was heart breaking and I could relate on certain levels.

I'm in the middle of another book right now, but I may just take WO out and re-read it!