“The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean

Before reading this book, I expected “The Orchid Thief” to be about orchid cultivating, centered around one unusual man with an unusual passion for plants: John LaRoche.  I had already viewed the film, “Adaptation”, which was based very loosely on “The Orchid Thief,” but assumed the film’s bizarreness was attributed to the screenwriters, and not the content of the book itself.

However, “The Orchid Thief” IS bizarre.  Initially author Susan Orlean wrote a story for the New Yorker about John LaRoche’s involvement with orchid poaching in a state park.  This story spurred a desire to expand the topic into a book, and a two-year stint shadowing members of the South Florida orchid community ensued.  While Mr. LaRoche continues to be a central character in the book, “The Orchid Thief” is rich in further crazy history about people’s obsession with these tropical plants.

I admit, I expected “The Orchid Thief” to be a little boring.  I was pleasantly surprised with Susan Orlean’s gift for relaying facts in such an engaging manner.  Her depth of research presented in the book is also admirable.  Even if a reader has no interest at all in orchids, they will enjoy reading about the human capacity of ludicrous desires for possession and control over something as simple as a flower.

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