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Parenting & Families |
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The Glass Castle: A Memoir
written by Jeannette Walls
Studio : Scribner
by Scribner
Publisher : Scribner
Released : 2006-01-09
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780743247542
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 1136 reviews)
List Price : $15.00
Our Price : $3.39
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Product Description |
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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. |
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Jas-store.com Review |
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Jeannette Walls's father always called her "Mountain Goat" and there's perhaps no more apt nickname for a girl who navigated a sheer and towering cliff of childhood both daily and stoically. In The Glass Castle, Walls chronicles her upbringing at the hands of eccentric, nomadic parents--Rose Mary, her frustrated-artist mother, and Rex, her brilliant, alcoholic father. To call the elder Walls's childrearing style laissez faire would be putting it mildly. As Rose Mary and Rex, motivated by whims and paranoia, uprooted their kids time and again, the youngsters (Walls, her brother and two sisters) were left largely to their own devices. But while Rex and Rose Mary firmly believed children learned best from their own mistakes, they themselves never seemed to do so, repeating the same disastrous patterns that eventually landed them on the streets. Walls describes in fascinating detail what it was to be a child in this family, from the embarrassing (wearing shoes held together with safety pins; using markers to color her skin in an effort to camouflage holes in her pants) to the horrific (being told, after a creepy uncle pleasured himself in close proximity, that sexual assault is a crime of perception; and being pimped by her father at a bar). Though Walls has well earned the right to complain, at no point does she play the victim. In fact, Walls' removed, nonjudgmental stance is initially startling, since many of the circumstances she describes could be categorized as abusive (and unquestioningly neglectful). But on the contrary, Walls respects her parents' knack for making hardships feel like adventures, and her love for them--despite their overwhelming self-absorption--resonates from cover to cover. --Brangien Davis |
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an amazing story of courage and perserverance. |
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This tear jerking tale was one that brought tears to my eyes.The fact that the tale is true is just as amazing as Janette Walls herself.Many people go through times in their lives where they need courage, and if they are lucky they find it. Janette Walls had a childhood and adult life that have both called for an abundance of courage. Infact it seams that was the one constant in her life, she is a person of amazing strength in both living her life and telling this humbeling story. I will keep this book forever and read it many times!!! |
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Cant put it down!!!! |
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Cant stop reading it and I am totally carried away by the value of Wall's family. The story is so touching and full of energy. Thumbs up!!! |
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Best Book all year |
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The Glass Castle is the best book by far I have read all year. I couldn't put it down one of those I can't believe she survived books! It is a wonderful story, tear-jerker, a must read and a great book club book, you will definitely come away with your own sense of thankfulness for your own well-being. |
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Read it against my better judgement ... and LOVED it! |
*** This is an excerpt from a review on my blog. To read the entire review, go here: http://age30books.blogspot.com/2008/10/glass-castle.html ***
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When my book club chose The Glass Castle for this month's pick I was not thrilled. I have a rule against reading personal tragedy/childhood abuse memoirs. Add that to the fact that "everyone" is raving about this book and you can see where this is going. I do have another rule though: read whatever book the book club chooses, and (try to) do it with an open mind. It's a good thing that I have that rule because this is a great book!
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Before I go on, I have to say that I listened to the audio version of The Glass Castle. ...[O]nce I popped that first cassette in my old car radio I was hooked. In my opinion the narrator of an audio book can make or break the book; this narrator definitely made it. She did an excellent job and I highly recommend the audio version.
Now, about the book itself. The Glass Castle is definitely not a "oh poor me" memoir, nor is it one that horrifies you with details of unimaginable child abuse. If I had to describe what happened to Jeannette and her siblings I'd call it neglect. But that's not it either. That word conjures up images in my mind that don't match this book at all. Maybe "forced independence" would be a better choice. Or not.
What I CAN say for certain is that the book is enthralling. The narrator is Jeannette as a child and she tells her story just as she experienced it, without any analyzing from her adult self. In that way it reminded me very much of Alexandra Fuller's memoir, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight (which I highly recommend - it's fantastic!).
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My book club is meeting to discuss this on 11/15/08. I'll be posting a recap on my blog afteward in case you're interested. |
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One heckuva great book |
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This inspiring book shows that no matter how bad your life is, you can change it for the better if you have the will. |
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