WhiteOleander
WhiteOleanderisa1999novelbyAmericanauthorJanetFitch.Itisacoming-of-agestoryaboutachild(Astrid)whoisseparatedfromhermother(Ingrid)andplacedinaseriesoffosterhomes.ThebookwasaselectionbyOprah'sBookClubinMay1999andbecamea2002film.
Plotsummary
AstridMagnussenisatwelve-year-oldgirllivinginLosAngeles,California.Sheandhermother,IngridMagnussen,apoet,liveasolitarylifewithlittleoutsideinfluence.Astrid'sfather,KlausAnders,leftbeforeAstridwasoldenoughtorememberhim.AstridreliessolelyonIngridandhastroublefittinginatschool.However,Ingridisself-centered,cold-heartedandeccentric.ShelivesbyasetofherownrulesandshowslittleinterestinAstrid,seemingtoforgetshehasadaughteratall.Asaresult,Astridfearsabandonmentaboveallelse.
IngridbeginsdatingamannamedBarryKolker.Atfirst,Ingridisdisgustedbythisgoatman,andfindshimrepulsive.BarrycontinuestopursueherromanticallyandAstridwatcheshermotherbreakeveryself-imposedruleasshebecomesmoreinvolvedwithhim.Eventually,itisrevealedthatheischeatingonherwithyoungerwomen,leavingIngridshatteredandenraged.NumerousattemptsatreconciliationleaveIngridmoreandmorehumiliatedandculminatewithherbreakingintoBarry'shouseandspreadingamixtureofDMSO,anarthritisdrug,andoleandersapalloverthesurfacesofBarry'shome.TheDMSOallowstheoleanderpoisontobeabsorbedintoskin.Asaresult,BarrydiesandIngridischargedwithhismurder.Sentencedtolifeinprison,shepromisesherdaughterthatshewillcomeback,butAstridissenttoaseriesoffosterhomes.
ThefirstfosterfamilyisthatofStarr,aformerstripper,andrecoveringdrugaddictandalcoholic.Shehastwochildrenofherown,aswellastwootherfosterchildren.Starrtakesinfosterchildrenbecauseherownchildrenwereinfostercareatonetimeduetoheraddictions.Despitethefactthatheisoldenoughtobeherfather,AstridhasanaffairwithStarr'slive-inboyfriend,Ray,alsoknownasUncleRaytotheotherkids.AsRaybecomesmoreandmoreuninterestedinStarr,sherelapses.Onenight,afteraloud,drunkenargumentwithRayoverhisrelationshipwithAstrid,StarrshootsAstridwitha.38.Astridsufferssomebrokenbonesandstitchesfromthegunshotsandishospitalizedforafewweeks,andbeginsabusingtheprescriptiondrugDemerol,whichisgiventoherduringherstayatthehospital.
HernexthomeiswiththeTurlocks.EdandMarvelaretheparentsoftwosmallchildren.Intheirhome,Astridbecomesanunpaidbabysitter.AstridbefriendstheTurlocks'next-doorneighbor,abeautifulAfrican-AmericanwomannamedOliviaJohnstone.AstridadmiresOlivia'sbeauty,wealthandhedonisticlifestyle.OliviaisaprostitutebyprofessionandishatedbytheTurlockfamilyforherprofessionandrace.AfterbefriendingOlivia,Astridbeginsusingdrugsandperformsoralsexonaboyinaparkinexchangeformarijuana.OliviateachesAstridaboutallofthefinerthingsinlife.Onherfifteenthbirthday,Astridgoesforawalk,andisbittenbyapackofdogs,leavingscarsonherarmsandface.Duringthewinterbreak,AstridisexpelledfromtheTurlockhouseholdaftergettingdrunkandfallingasleepatOlivia'shouseonenight.
Next,AstridissenttothehomeofaHispanicwomannamedAmeliaRamos.Ameliaisaninteriordesigner,originallyfromArgentina,andlivesinHollywood,withalarge,eleganthouse.AmeliahasasonwhohascontractedAIDS,butthegirlsdonotseehimmuch.TheotherfostergirlsinthehouseareallLatino.AllofthegirlsinAmelia'shousehold,however,aretreatedthesameinthattheyarefeddinner,butAmeliakeepsalockonherfridgesothegirlsstarveinthemornings.Astridstarvestothepointthatshestopsmenstruating.Sheresortstoeatingunfinishedlunchesfromthegarbageatschool.Astrideventuallygetsanewcaseworkerwhofindsheranewplacement.
AstridistakeninbyaformeractressnamedClaireRichards,andherhusband,Ron.ClairedoeseverythingshecantoensureAstrid'scomfort.Foronce,Astridisdoingwellinschoolandpursuingart.Astridcontinuescorrespondingwithhermotherinprison,butAstridbecomesincreasinglybittertowardsIngrid.ClairesuspectsthatRonishavinganaffair,andAstridwatchestheirfightsworsenasRonmakesconstanttripsawayfromhome.AfterNewYear's,Clairecommitssuicidebyoverdosing.Bythispoint,Astridisseventeen.
AstridisthenplacedinMacLarenChildren'sCenter(knownasMac),whichisknownasafinalresortforfosterkidswithoutaplacement.AstridmeetsanartisticboynamedPaulTrout,andtheybondthroughthesharedexperienceoflivinginfostercareandart.
Astrid'sfinalhomeiswithRussianimmigrantRenaGrushenka.SheintentionallychoosesRenaoverbetterprospectivefosterparentsbecausesheisdevastatedbyClaire'sdeathanddoesnotwanttobecomepartofanuclearfamily.Astridisafraiditwouldbetooeasytoforgetthepainshehasgonethrough.AtRena's,sheliveswithtwootherteenagegirlsnamedNikiandYvonne(whoispregnantwhenAstridarrives).AstridbecomesveryclosefriendswithNikiandYvonne.Despitethefactthatsheismorethantwiceherage,shealsohasasexualrelationshipwithRena'sboyfriend,Sergei.Oneday,aftergettinghighonacidwithNiki,AstridbeginstohavememoriesofawomannamedAnnie.
Meanwhile,Ingridhasbeguntobuildupagroupoffansandadmirersfromprison,whoallbelievesheisinnocent.IngridandherlawyerbegintobuildupacasetogetIngridreleasedfromprison.However,theircasedependsonAstrid—ifshetestifiesthatIngriddidnotmurderBarry,Ingridwilllikelynotbesentenced,butifshetestifiesthetruth,Ingridcouldnotwinhercase.Astridrealizesthatsheisinapositionofpoweroverhermother,andtellsherthatunlesssheanswerssomeofherquestions,shewilltestifyagainsther.AstridasksIngridaboutBarry,KlausandthenAnnie.IngridisshatteredtolearnthatAstridremembersAnnieatall,andrevealsthatAnniewasababysitterwhomIngridleftAstridwithforoverayear,makingAstridrealizewhyshefearsabandonmentfromhermother.AstridletsIngridknowhowdamagedsheisbecauseofwhatIngriddidtoher.AstridgivesIngridachoice,tohavehertestify,ortohaveherreturntothepersonhermotherknewheras.IngridmakesthechoicenottoaskAstridtolieforher,andletshergo.
Twoyearslater,AstridistwentyyearsoldandlivingwithPaulinarundownflatinBerlin,Germany.Astridspendshertimebuyingsuitcasesandmakingthemintoindividualartpiecesrepresentingherdifferentfosterhomes,detailingthejourneyAstridhastakenfromhermother'simprisonmenttoherlifewithRena.ShealsorealizesthatifshereturnstoCalifornia,shemustabandonPaul,leavinghimmuchasshehadherselfbeenabandonedsomanytimesbefore.Sheembracesherlife,thepastthathasmadeherwhosheis,andevenhermother.
