The Glass Castle

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.

So I just finished reading The Glass Castle. I don’t usually read non-fiction books, and if it wasn’t the book for my book club I probably would not have picked it up on my own, but I’m so glad I “had” to read it because I really enjoyed it.

The author tells the story of how she was raised moving from place to place sometimes living in a car or in tiny shacks and having to sleep in cardboard boxes. The kids would have to dig through the trash at school so they wouldn’t go hungry, even though mom and dad seemed to find ways to keep their own bellies full. It’s a captivating story of what these kids had to do ON THEIR OWN to get out of this situation because the parents weren’t doing it. The most frustrating thing is that the parents could have, at any time, gotten their family out of this situation and DIDN’T! What truly fascinated me was that the author describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity despite the horrid conditions she was forced to grow up in.

I highly recommend this book. (you can borrow mine if you don’t mind that I spilled milk all over it when I was trying to carry the book, oreos, and milk up the stairs). If you are looking for a feel-good-fall-in-love-with-vampires-or-Mr. Darcy book …this isn’t it. But, if you are looking for an intriguing look at the choices some people make and why they make them, then this is for you!