Once again I choose to read a book because I watched the film. Strange habit of mine.
I read White Oleander by Janet Finch for this month's IggleWorms challenge. The challenge this month is to read a book set in the 90's. This book doesn't state specific dates but it was published in the 90's, so I'm guessing that is when it is set.
Spoilers
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After watching the film, I had some idea what the book was going to be like.
The main character, Astrid, is put into the foster care system after her mother, Ingrid, murders her ex boyfriend. Ingrid uses Oleanders to poison him because he left her.
The story follows Astrid into each of her foster homes.
Foster Home #1
A born again, former alcoholic stripper, Starr, is the first foster mom for Astrid. There are a few other kids living there including two of Starr's biological kids. Problems occur when Astrid takes a fancy to Starr's live in boyfriend, "Uncle Ray". In true "Lolita" fashion Astrid and Ray begin a really disturbing relationship which leads to Astrid getting shot by Starr.
Foster Home #2
After Astrid gets out of the hospital she is put into a foster home with the racist Turlocks. Astrid becomes the babysitter and maid for the Turlocks. It is here that she makes friends with a "prostitute" next door and begins to dabble in drugs.
Once Astrid's friendship is discovered by the Turlocks she is kicked out.
Foster Home #3
In Astrid's third foster home, she and a group of other foster girls are starved to the point that Astrid eats food out of the garbage at school. The foster mother, Amelia, uses the girls for chores and takes the money from the state but keeps the food in the house under lock and key. After making many calls to social services, Astrid is given a new social worker who takes her away.
Foster Home #4
Astrid is taken in by actress Claire Richards. Everything seems wonderful at first. With Claire and Astrid becoming more like mother and daughter than Astrid has ever known, even with her mother Ingrid. Only beneath the outer perfection Claire is a broken and fragile woman. She eventually falls apart when her husband leaves. She kills herself and Astrid is left feeling more alone than ever.
Foster Home #5
After the trauma of losing Claire, Astrid ends up in a Children's Center. It is there that she meets a kindred spirit in Paul. Paul unfortunately ages out of the system while they are there.
Side note: The Paul-Astrid relationship is different in the book from the film. In the film they seem to have more of a connection, while in the book it is almost fleeting.
Foster Home #6
17 year old Astrid lands into her final foster home with Russian immigrant, Rena. She lives there with two other girls. These girls, Niki and Yvonne, become Astrid's first real friends. Out of the whole book, it is the friendship with these girls that makes Astrid likable again. This foster home isn't a bad place. They live outside the norm, but it works.
So what about the murderess mother?
The entire time that Astrid is being tossed around the foster system, Ingrid is manipulating her. Ingrid may have been the final push that made Claire kill herself. She doesn't see Astrid as a person, only a possession. One that either belongs to her or must be destroyed.
Throughout the book Ingrid is making things worse for Astrid. It is only in the end that Ingrid starts to see some of the damage she has inflicted on her daughter.
Here is where the book leaves a bitter aftertaste.
Astrid and Paul are in Berlin, living like true starving artists. Astrid has thought about cheating on Paul. I cannot see the character's reasoning for this.
It is in Berlin that they find out that Ingrid has been released from prison.
As the book closes, Astrid is thinking about what is would be like to go back to her mother.
After everything that she went through, why does she want to go back? Ingrid has not been there for most of Astrid's life. Does Astrid think that going back to Ingrid means that she can get a second chance at the childhood she lost? I feel like Ingrid never really cared about Astrid even before the murder and jail.
The ending just made me feel uneasy.
Anyone else read this?
Which Foster home did you like or hate?
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