The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Violence in the Florida Everglades

by Susan Orlean • 2000

The orchid thief is John Laroche, a renegade plant dealer and sharply handsome guy in spite of the fact that he is missing all his teeth and has the posture of al dente spaghetti. This national bestseller follows him into the Florida swamp to relate his mesmerizing true story of beauty and obsession.