book review: the glass castle

 

Last Monday I was out shopping and stumbled upon this book and was intrigued by the cover...yeah, I judge books by the cover sometimes. So anyways, I hadn't heard anything but read the back and it sounded like something I might like. Plus, the front of the book says that "[Jeannette] Walls joined the company of writers such as ...and Frank McCourt." Um, have you read Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. AMAZING. So buying the book was a no-brainer. Anyways, the book is a memoir in which Walls writes about her childhood and upbringing with her three siblings and crazy mom and dad. Her father is an alcoholic who can't keep a steady job and her mother is an extremely selfish "artist" who believes that she is going to make it big and refuses to get a job in the mean time to help feed her children.  Jeanette's parents refuse to stay anywhere for more than a short amount of time and usually leave the small towns they've settled into because they've gotten into trouble with the law. Interestingly, Jeannette's mother was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona (where I'm from) and Jeannette spent part of her childhood there as well. It was sad to have to read about Phoenix from her point of view because of their poor living conditions. The book takes you through some of Jeannette's earliest childhood memories to where she is now and it's amazing to see her transformation. Reading this book made me so thankful and appreciative for my family and all they've done for me. I highly, highly recommend this book! It definitely put life in perspective for me.