Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Nic

Astrid's mother, a cold poet of almost frightening beauty, is arrested for the murder of her ex-boyfriend and Astrid is sent to foster care. Shuffled between foster mothers- including a born-again Christian, a hard-faced racist, a Russian dumpster diver, and a suicidal actress- Astrid endures pain and ugliness with an artist's eye and a hardening heart. With the help of a few unlikely friends, Astrid learns to find beauty in unexpected places and hold it in her heart, and learns to be her own person separate from her mother.


An excellent novel, sad and beautifully written. Don't bother with the movie, this is a story that must be told in Astrid's words.