White Oleander

Astrid's mother Ingrid is a beautiful poet with an overpowering personality, and she's quite mad. But Astrid adores her mother and the two are inseparable -- until Ingrid murders her lover and is imprisoned for life. Suddenly Astrid enters foster care, where each home has a new set of realities. Tough, irrepressible, funny and warm, Astrid's determined search for an authentic sense of self and her place in the world makes her one of the most lovable and unforgettable characters in recent fiction.