White oleander

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 anmd 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. This is the story of Astrid's journey through a series of foster homes and her efforts to find a place for herself in impossible circumstances. With determination and humor, Astrid confronts the challenges of loneliness and poverty, and strives to learn who a motherless child in and indifferent world can become.