The Orchid Thief is a riveting true story of beauty and obsession, from the award-winning author Susan Orlean. In this book, we follow John Laroche, a renegade plant dealer who stole rare orchids from protected swamps in Florida to sell on the black market. His exploits are as outrageous as they are lawlessāand provide an unforgettable portrait of American ingenuity at its shameless best.
For who is this book for ?
If you’re interested in stories of obsession, adventure, and botany, then The Orchid Thief is the perfect book for you. Written by Susan Orlean, this nonfiction work takes readers on a wild ride through the life of John Larocheāa plant dealer with a passion for stealing rare orchids from protected swamps in Florida. With high-stakes heists that are as outrageous as they are lawless, this book provides an unforgettable portrait of American ingenuity at its shameless best.
Pros :
- Orlean’s writing is beautiful and brings the characters to life
- The story is strange and compelling, a real page-turner
- Orlean has a great journalistic eye, providing rich backstory and context without ever being dry or boring
Cons :
- It’s extremely boring
- It’s poorly written
- It doesn’t offer any valuable information
Learn more about the author
Susan Orlean is a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of four books, including Rin Tin Tin and The Orchid Thief. She has won a National Magazine Award and was finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Reader Reviews
“This is a really great book. It tells the story of John Laroche, who stole rare orchids from protected swamps in Florida to sell on the black market. His exploits are as outrageous as they are lawlessāand provide an unforgettable portrait of American ingenuity at its shameless best.”
“Beguiling… Ms. Orlean writes with a fluidity and zest that are, together, as rare as the objects of her fascination.”
“Susan Orlean has a genius for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.”
“The Orchid Thief is an elegantly written and fascinating true story of botanical obsession in the 1990s.”