The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle
Jeannette Walls

This memoir is both disturbing and inspirational. The author tells of the hardscrabble childhood she and her three siblings endured. When the siblings’ father was sober, he could challenge them intellectually, but he was destructive when he was drinking. He was also unsuccessful at holding a job for very long, so they moved frequently. Their mother was more interested in painting than in parenting, so the children increasingly relied on each other for protection and for what food and clothes they could scrounge for themselves.

The author was determined to make a better life for herself, so soon after graduation from high school, she went to New York City. Her sister Lori was already there, and they helped each other get a new start before assisting their brother Brian relocate. Their parents followed them to New York, but ended up living on the streets. It is inspiring to think about how these sometimes abused, always neglected children all became responsible and successful adults.

Jane
Russell Memorial Library