THE ORCHID THIEF

Orlean left New York City for the swamps of Florida--on the trail of a story about plant poaching. She got it and much more. Listening to Anna Fields's low-pitched, earnest delivery, we learn about the poacher, John Laroche; his Seminole friends; the orchid-grower subculture; botany and booty; and Florida history. And the learning is fun, thanks to writing and narration that carry one along from an explanation of orchid-cloning to a Palm Beach cocktail party for orchid lovers to a final search for the elusive ghost orchid in the Fakahatchee Strand. The Latin botanical names pose no problem for Fields; she is equally successful at conveying the author's enthusiasm for her subject and for characters like Savilla Quick or Chief Billy. THIEF can only benefit from ADAPTATION, a recent movie about the making of a filmversion of the book. J.B.G. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 03]