The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
For all of you think you have dysfunction in your family, you may be relieved that you are not the only one. Jeanette Walls memoir of growing up with her eccentric parents in California, Arizona, and West Virginia, outlines the struggles and subtle insanity of her family.
The story is one of perseverance and resilience. The father is a drunk who often shirks his responsibilities as a parent, yet fills his children's heads full of imagination and wonderment. The mother often turns her head to the behavior of the father and is normally too focused on her artwork than the children's needs. Through all of this, Ms. Walls and her siblings learn to be independent and they begin to take care of themselves.
The story follows Ms. Walls to New York, where she had attended college and has become a writer. The parents eventually follow her and two siblings there and choose to be homeless even as their children succeed.
Throughout the book, Rex Walls tells Jeanette of his plans for a new house made completely of glass. As a young girl, Jeanette shares the dream of the new house with her father, but as time goes on, she realizes it is another one of her father's grand pipe dreams. The glass castle is largely symbolic. It symbolizes hope for the future. Or in the words of the author herself, "the glass castle can be whatever you choose to make it."
The book is a great read and I recommend it to all, especially those who have had troubled upbringings. But, you don't have to take my word for it. Duh dunt duh.
For the authors perspective on the memoir, click here.