The Orchid Thief

The Orchid Thief is a nonfiction book by Susan Orlean, originally published in 1998. It is a narrative nonfiction account of the crimes and trial of John Laroche, accused of stealing endangered orchid species from the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve in Florida. The basic story of Laroche and his crimes originally ran as an article in The New Yorker, entitled “Orchid Fever” and published in 1995. The book expands the story and also details Orlean’s experiences in Florida while there to report the story. It was a New York Times bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book. In 2002, the book was adapted into a film, Adaptation, starring Nicholas Cage, Meryl Streep, and Chris Cooper.

This guide uses the Ballantine Books paperback edition published in 2000.

Summary

The first chapter introduces the court case of John Laroche for his role in stealing over 200 prized but protected plants from a swamp called the Fakahatchee Strand in south Florida. He focused particularly on an orchid called the “ghost orchid,” which he had hoped to clone and become rich from selling. Orlean gives an overview of Laroche’s life and describes the court hearing at which he is charged.