Hi
I'm reading White Oleander at the moment. I'm really devouring it. I was wondering though. I don't want to be rude or anything, but is the American foster care system really such a joke or is the book only describing the aberrations?

Yeah, I'd say it's pretty screwy, just look at our judicial system. I don't expect them to be totally perfect. That's not realistic. It's just tragic the number of people who get lost in the system. As someone once said (someone really, really smart imo), "Good intentions paved the road to hell."

I read the book, btw. I thought it was brilliant and moving. Just saw the preview for the movie they're making. Michelle Pfieffer is playing Astrid's mother. Go figure. There must be some running deal in Hollywood that says she has to star in any movie made out of a bestseller from Oprah Winfrey's book club. lol

I just read the book, and I couldn't put it down. I was still reading at 7:00 am one morning!

The American foster system is very overburdened, sadly, by not enough social workers for the case load. I know there are some cases Astrid's (in the book), but overall, it isn't anywhere close to that.

I read this book over the summer. It was very moving and quite riveting. I don't have any experience with the US foster care system, but from what I've heard from friends who have, the book isn't that far off. I'm waiting not so patiently for the movie to come out.