The Glass Castle: A Memoir

Jeannette Walls

Rating: 5.0/5 Stars
Rank: 210

Starred Review. Freelance writer Walls doesn't pull her punches. She opens her memoir by describing looking out the window of her taxi, wondering if she's "overdressed for the evening" and spotting her mother on the sidewalk, "rooting through a Dumpster." Walls's parents—just two of the unforgettable characters in this excellent, unusual book—were a matched pair of eccentrics, and raising four children didn't conventionalize either of them.

Her father was a self-taught man, a would-be inventor who could stay longer at a poker table than at most jobs and had "a little bit of a drinking situation," as her mother put it. With a fantastic storytelling knack, Walls describes her artist mom's great gift for rationalizing. Apartment walls so thin they heard all their neighbors?

What a bonus—they'd "pick up a little Spanish without even studying." Why feed their pets? They'd be helping them "by not allowing them to become dependent." While Walls's father's version of Christmas presents—walking each child into the Arizona desert at night and letting each one claim a star—was delightful, he wasn't so dear when he stole the kids' hard-earned savings to go on a bender.

The Walls children learned to support themselves, eating out of trashcans at school or painting their skin so the holes in their pants didn't show.

Buck-toothed Jeannette even tried making her own braces when she heard what orthodontia cost. One by one, each child escaped to New York City. Still, it wasn't long before their parents appeared on their doorsteps. "Why not?" Mom said. "Being homeless is an adventure."
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Editorials(6) | Customer Reviews(60)

Editorials

Sample 3 of 6

The Glass Castle: A Memoir
Jeannette Walls


	From Publishers Weekly
	Starred Review. Freelance writer Walls doesn't pull her punches. She opens her memoir by describing looking out the window of her taxi, wondering if she's "overdressed for the evening" and spotting her mother... read full editorial

	From Bookmarks Magazine
	"Being homeless is an adventure," Walls’s mom used to say. In her extraordinary memoir, Walls recalls her nomadic life with surprising affection—though she would not want to relive it. The title, which derives from... read full editorial

	Review
	"Jeannette Walls has carved a story with precision and grace out of one of the most chaotic, heartbreaking childhoods ever to be set down on the page. This deeply affecting memoir is a triumph in every possible way, and... read full editorial

All Editorials(6) | Product Info | Product Listings

Customer Reviews

Sample 3 of 60

The Glass Castle: A Memoir
Jeannette Walls


	On Top of the World
	(Glendale) May 27, 2005 - 5.0/5 stars
	I found THE GLASS CASTLE to be a wonderful accomplishment in writing. Although hailing from biographical origins, the events of the main story and underlying sub-stories are filled with both the comic amusements and tragic... read full review

	An Amazing Memoir
	(Vermont) June 1, 2005 - 5.0/5 stars
	I finished "The Glass Castle" this weekend and am still in awe. Not only is this a life story that is inspiring, but author Jeannette Walls has an incredible writing style. Every word is perfectly placed. I can hear... read full review

	COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN
	(Houston, TX United States) June 22, 2005 - 5.0/5 stars
	What a terrific memoir! Completely captures the dilemma all children face between love of parent and trying to comprehend the parents' human frailties, contradictions, and failings. As her parents continued to fail their... read full review

All Customer Reviews(60) | Product Info | Product Listings

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