White Oleander in Around the World in 80 Books

Mar 25, 2013 Vicky rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, novel, mother-daughter

I am changing this to the 5 star rating I would have given it at 15 when I first read it. I remember it was my favorite book and it was 1 of 2 Oprah books that influenced me toward poetry. One of my favorite lines was like the favorite of all the other teen girls on Livejournal: “Always learn poems by heart. They have to become the marrow in your bones. Like fluoride in the water, they'll make your soul impervious to the world's soft decay.” Besides that, I don't recall anything else about the b I am changing this to the 5 star rating I would have given it at 15 when I first read it. I remember it was my favorite book and it was 1 of 2 Oprah books that influenced me toward poetry. One of my favorite lines was like the favorite of all the other teen girls on Livejournal: “Always learn poems by heart. They have to become the marrow in your bones. Like fluoride in the water, they'll make your soul impervious to the world's soft decay.” Besides that, I don't recall anything else about the book at all, and I am not sure what I would think of the characters and plot now if I re-read it.

In 2007 I got to meet Janet Fitch at a reading that I attended with Vicki. The audience was sparse, or maybe the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium in the basement of Harold Washington Library was just too large. Janet Fitch had to put up with some condescending Dude/Douche who just used his "question" for her during the Q&A to talk about himself and his writing process and other stuff no one cared about. Vicki and I were both young and easily impressed by beauty and life and our favorite writers/musicians/people who were able to see it and show it.

Vicki was really sad on this day because she had just lost her journal right after completing the last page, and I love Vicki's writing, so I felt really sad, too.I knew how much there was in there (her written experience of New Orleans being the major loss I think) and she placed it in the bathroom at DePaul and it was never returned.

During our turn to get our books signed, I remember a warmth from J.F. as she smiled at us and Vicki asked her for advice on what to do if you lose your journal and for J.F., the only thing she could hope for is that her name isn't anywhere in it, and it was true that Vicki's name wasn't anywhere in it, so it's just like, floating out there, in someone's possession possibly. I can't imagine it being thrown away!

Janet Fitch said that you develop a cataract over your eye the longer you avoid writing so that when you get back to it, it will take more work/effort before you can see through it. That image of the film covering up your eye is one that makes me anxious and it has totally stayed with me for the past 7 years. ...more

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Nov 22, 2008 Madeleine rated it it was ok

I wanted to read something mindless (and my next Twilight book still has a bunch of holds on it ahead of me) and I bought this at value village a while back. Might be a bit too Oprah-ish though (and again, that's saying something, coming from someone who has resigned herself to loooooving all of Oprah's book picks).

Also, what's up with random totally evil Argentine lady? ...more

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