{"product_id":"the-orchid-thief-susan-orlean-paperback","title":"The Orchid Thief -- Susan Orlean, Paperback","description":"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES \u003c\/i\u003eBESTSELLER - A \u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES \u003c\/i\u003eNOTABLE BOOK - THE BASIS FOR THE FILM \u003ci\u003eADAPTATION\u003c\/i\u003e DIRECTED BY SPIKE JONZE AND STARRING NICOLAS CAGE AND MERYL STREEP\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe \"eccentric, illuminating, [and] hilarious\" (New York \u003ci\u003eDaily News\u003c\/i\u003e) true story of beauty and obsession in the swamps of Florida and the impassioned individuals who risk everything for the ultimate prize: a rare ghost orchid\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Fascinating . . . an engrossing journey [full] of theft, hatred, greed, jealousy, madness, and backstabbing.\"--\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMeet John Laroche, a deeply eccentric and oddly attractive renegade plant dealer. In 1994, Laroche and three Seminole men were arrested with rare ghost orchids--\u003ci\u003ePolyrrhiza lindenii--\u003c\/i\u003ethey had stolen from a wild swamp in South Florida. Laroche had planned to clone the endangered orchids and sell them for a small fortune to impassioned buyers. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Orchid Thief, \u003c\/i\u003eacclaimed journalist Susan Orlean follows Laroche through swamps and into the eccentric world of Florida's orchid collectors, a subculture of aristocrats, fanatics, and smugglers whose obsession with plants is all-consuming. This unforgettable tour of America's strange flower-selling subculture becomes even more bizarre as Orlean details how the head of a famous Seminole chief came to be displayed in the front window of a local pharmacy, how seven hundred iguanas were smuggled into Florida, and the case of the only known extraterrestrial plant crime. \u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\n\nA modern classic of personal journalism, \u003ci\u003eThe Orchid Thief\u003c\/i\u003e is a wickedly funny, elegant, and captivating tale of an amazing obsession.\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Susan Orlean\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ballantine Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1\/4\/2000\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.63 lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8.16\" H x 5.46\" L x 0.7\" W\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9780449003718\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Flowerburst","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50554245841200,"sku":"9780449003718","price":21.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2712\/8368\/files\/9780449003718_5b806ce7-df5e-4ec5-8cd3-0b3d6433279d.jpg?v=1774817521","url":"https:\/\/flowerburst.co\/products\/the-orchid-thief-susan-orlean-paperback","provider":"Flowerburst","version":"1.0","type":"link"}