• White Oleander

  • By: Janet Fitch
  • Narrated by: Oprah Winfrey
  • Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (1,087 ratings)

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White Oleander  By  cover art

White Oleander

By: Janet Fitch
Narrated by: Oprah Winfrey
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Publisher's summary

The unforgettable story of a young woman's odyssey through a series of Los Angeles foster homes on her journey to redemption.

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 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. Each home is its own universe, with a new set of laws and lessons to be learned. With determination and humor, Astrid confronts the challenges of loneliness and poverty, and strives to learn who a motherless child in an indifferent world can become.

Oprah Winfrey enjoyed this gripping first novel so much that she not only made it her book club pick, she asked if she could narrate the audio release.

©1999 by Janet Fitch (P)16 9; 1999 Time Warner AudioBooks (Packaging Elements Only), A Division of Time Warner Trade Publishing

Critic reviews

  • An Oprah Book Club selection

"...[an] impressive first novel.... her startlingly apt language relates a story that is both intelligent and gripping." (The New York Times Book Review)

What listeners say about White Oleander

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Read the book and watch the movie

Great book, tons of details to the movie. I highly recommend it. Get ready for your feelings to take a ride.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Narcissism and Fallout.

A young girl's survival story. Her mother is a dangerous narcissist and we follow the daughter as she navigates her teenage years in foster care. Hard topics shared with emotional depth. With Oprah as a narrator it feels more like poetry than prose.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Okay story, great narration

Sad story. Kept me interested because I wanted to know what happened to the main character. The book does not weave in and out of different people's lives or shift from character to character. It is all the main character is point of view. I feel the ending could have been a little more fulfilling or uplifting. But it was interesting. Poetic.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Why leave out parts from original?

I did not read original but from I’ve read, there were important components left out of the audible version. The story itself was very sad but happy to see Astrid was such a strong and determined woman. I wonder if anything in life for Astrid would ever be fulfilling though…

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My fave

Narrator good, music was nice. The story overall is a must read and worth the read.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Incredible.

Incredible writing, superbly delivered by Oprah. From the first few Iines, I knew this was going to be an experience. The word choice is impeccable and Oprah's voice... Couldn't be better

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

You can't pick your family

Definitely a good story about family relationship, specifically mother and child. The story kept my interest because I really wanted to how this manipulative, unnatural hold would be broken.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

drags towards the end

the book is ok.
narration is good
story is ok
drags a lot towards the end

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Abridged

If I had known this would be abridged I wouldn't have gotten it. This is one of my absolute favorite books and I was excited to listen to it while I worked but it slips so much content I'm disappointed. I wish it had been marked or something.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This is my favorite book

I love this book. I’ve been reading it over and over since it came out when I was in middle school. I don’t prefer Oprah as the narrator. The southern drawl she uses throws off the the story for me. I’d prefer a lighter younger voice.

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