perpetuallyreading 's review for:

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

4.0

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Let me just confess: even though I gave this 4 stars, it took me 4 months to read this. I’m still not sure why that is except that this book drained me like no other (except for A LITTLE LIFE by Hanya Yanagihara). This book is HARD, and Finch leaves you wondering how Astrid, the main character, can ever get back on her feet, or if she even ever will. This book is about hardship, about how life is unfair, about the sacred mother-daughter bond (and what happens when there is a lack thereof). A difficult read for me, but its lyrical prose is something to behold. I’d recommend this book to people who:
🏙 love books set in a single city, where it’s a crucial part of a character’s life.
🏙 love strong female leads.
🏙 like a good, (almost/maybe in her own terms) redemption story