The Glass Castle

Summary (from the publisher): 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.

Review: The Glass Castle is one of those best selling books that you hear a lot about and when you sit down to read them are convinced they won't live up to the hype, but actually do. I was deeply moved by Walls' personal tale of growing up in a highly unconventional family and astonished that she and her three siblings managed to not only survive (seriously, boiling hotdogs alone at age 3??) but to become such great successes. I imagine that the most difficult part of this work was deciding to write it after hiding her true origins for most of her adult life, but Walls successfully shows her family in both their despair and insanity but also their glory and brilliance.

I wanted two things from this book that I didn't find. First, was more emotion. Walls does a superb job of showing v. telling and thus avoids the self-pity card almost entirely, but as a reader I kept feeling myself wanting more reaction rather from the character Jeanette rather than an abrupt end to the chapter. The second was just plain more. How did she cover up her origins for so long? What was the hardest part about transitioning to a more conventional way of life without exposing her past? But the fact that I'm wanting more from the author, that she has provoked thought and interest in her readers shows that with her life story, she has done her job as a writer.

Stars: 4