Astrid is the only child of a single mother, Ingrid, a brilliant, obsessed poet who wields her luminous beauty to intimidate and manipulate men. Astrid worships her mother and cherishes their private world full of ritual and mystery -- but their idyll is shattered when Astrid's mother falls apart over a lover. Deranged by rejection, Ingrid murders the man, and is sentenced to a 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 for herself in impossible circumstances.
