Now that Orlean has been sucked into this world of orchid fanatics and swamp hikers, she has obviously lost her objectivity as a journalist and becomes increasingly involved John Laroche's life, and builds up an fixation with seeing the rare ghost orchid. In order to see the flower, she had to venture deep into the Fakahatchee swamp in Florida. Orlean writes, "I suppose I do have one unembarrassed passion. I want to know how it feels to care about something passionately."
Orlean also shows herself being nonobjective in her attraction to Laroche.
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