White Oleander

by Janet Fitch

When Astrid's mother [Ingrid], a beautiful, headstrong poet, murders a former lover and is imprisoned for life, Astrid becomes one of the thousands of foster children in Los Angeles. As she navigates this new reality, Astrid finds strength in her unshakable certainty of her own worth and her unfettered sense of the absurd.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This book reads like a poem. It's hard to write anything about this book without being afraid one sounds simplistic and banal; afraid Ingrid would roll her eyes and dismiss me as trite. Simply put, I'd been waiting so long for this story without even knowing it. I love the fierce unapologetic women and the magnificent sense of perspective they offer. Definitely falls into the "Just Read It" category.