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The Glass Castle

A Memoir (Alex Awards (Awards))

By Jeannette Walls

(124)

| Hardcover | 9780743247535

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Book Description

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliContinue

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.

Critics

  • Learning how to swim

    The Glass Castle is a memoir of an extraordinary childhood. Jeannette Walls and her three siblings survived an upbringing truly stranger than fiction — if it were invented, it would not be credible. Rex Walls, Jeanette’s father, is a brilliant and ch ... (read full critics)

    spectator published on Fri, 17 Sep 2010

21 Reviews

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  • 1 person find this helpful

    The Glass Castle is a good memoir of a childhood of hardship. It's a wonder the writer, Jeannette Wells survived to write this tale.

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    Lgpitre said on Dec 12, 2010 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • 1 person find this helpful

    I still can't decide if I really "liked" this one or not. Girl with distant mother and alcoholic father sounded like something I could relate to. I wanted to read it, but even though I whipped through this one a rapid pace, I really found it almost unbelievable. Nothing like Frank McCourt's Angela's ... (continue)

    I still can't decide if I really "liked" this one or not. Girl with distant mother and alcoholic father sounded like something I could relate to. I wanted to read it, but even though I whipped through this one a rapid pace, I really found it almost unbelievable. Nothing like Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes memoir. I found that deeply moving and tragic, and I just didn't get that same feeling reading this book. I just found myself questioning it the entire way through.

    Loved her writing style, just not sure I'm buying the story.

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    Leahrussell76 said on Aug 15, 2009 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • 1 person find this helpful

    For me, it's a "sad" story that I don't want to re-read it again.

    It talks about the effect of family, and attitudes of parent have on children when they are growing. Children can find happiness in simply, little things, they know when adults lie but they don't care.

    They can live with ... (continue)

    For me, it's a "sad" story that I don't want to re-read it again.

    It talks about the effect of family, and attitudes of parent have on children when they are growing. Children can find happiness in simply, little things, they know when adults lie but they don't care.

    They can live with what you give them, and they have a way around it. When an adult thinks life is tough and go on moaning about it, children try to make themseelves happy no matter what.

    Their parent kept the 'child' in themselves and the whole family lived happily and dream of dreams that might never happen.

    But when children grew up and the little child was lost, they find their parents silly and sad because they realize the dream will only be dream.

    They start to care about what other people think about them and their parents. When they can no longer stand their parents living happily whith whatever they got (and in poverty), they left, refuse to admit the parents.

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    小米 said on Aug 11, 2008 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • This was a truly compelling memoir. I can understand well the blurb about how it will keep you up at night long after the rest of your house has gone to sleep. The Walls family's life took off at go and very rarely settled down after. From mining town to desert, eating well to near starvation, perio ... (continue)

    This was a truly compelling memoir. I can understand well the blurb about how it will keep you up at night long after the rest of your house has gone to sleep. The Walls family's life took off at go and very rarely settled down after. From mining town to desert, eating well to near starvation, periods of bliss to absolute chaos, there was never a dull moment, and rarely any certainty. But this was a family that stuck together. And even after the kids had given up on their parents, they still stuck with each other. I would definitely classify this as one that belongs on the Everyone Must Read list. Because this is one family who encompasses the best and worst of the American Dream, and it's good to take a break from the insanity that is now to see what insanity was then.

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    Jaemi K said on Jan 23, 2010 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • Recommended by the lady at the check-out counter at Border's.<br />A totally moving, compelling & hauntingly beautiful story! Heartbreaking too but one of the most sensitive memoirs I remember reading.

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    Nini said on Nov 17, 2009 | Add your feedback

  • Finished already as once started it was so compelling I hardly put it down! A great memoir of a family of four children that showed tremendous resilence considering their parents choice of lifestyle! It was a surprise that no self pity showed in the author's writing at all especially as considering ... (continue)

    Finished already as once started it was so compelling I hardly put it down! A great memoir of a family of four children that showed tremendous resilence considering their parents choice of lifestyle! It was a surprise that no self pity showed in the author's writing at all especially as considering the Father's intelligence and the Mother's background, life could possibly have been so different. A great read, I am so pleased I signed up for this one, thanks again bestfriends.

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    Lindyloumac said on Nov 6, 2009 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

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