“The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls is the story of her childhood growing up with her three siblings, free spirited mother, and genius but alcoholic father. They lived as nomads for much of her young life, running from the “Feds” and always chasing a dream that was never going to come – their father’s goal to build a mansion he called the “Glass Castle.” Jeannette, along with her brother and two sisters, learned to take care of themselves, scrounging in dumpsters for food, and working from a young age to save money and escape the rundown shack they lived in. The story is almost unbelievable at times for the extreme torture, poverty, neglect, and even molestation the children had to endure. I read this book because it was recommended alongside “Educated” by Tara Westover, and “Freckled” by TW Neal. All three are stunning tales of childhood resilience in the face of horrid physical and mental abuse, but something about this book, “The Glass Castle,” made me more angry than the others.

Throughout the book, I wanted to scream at Jeannette’s parents. How could a mother allow her children to experience such life-altering pain and suffering! The children were starving, shivering, and thoroughly neglected their entire lives, it’s a miracle they turned out okay in the end. The author does a fabulous job describing the scenery and her situation, but I felt she recounted the details from a distance. Despite all her suffering, her account of her childhood does not include many instances of anger at her parents. Rather, she describes her parents with love, understanding, and even admiration. It really is painfully difficult to read at times. Especially when Jeannette learns about a secret her mother had been hiding all those years that could have put food on the table and bought a house with a working heater … I mean, I cried with frustration that I myself wasn’t there to protect those children. And I don’t even have kids! I imagine the anger and frustration would be even worse for a reader with a family to take care of.

The story is true, but probably embellished to add to the impact of certain events. The journey of Jeannette’s childhood is hard to read, but comes to a conclusion that’s somewhat satisfying, though it left me with many hurt and angry feelings about people I’ll never meet. This book stays with you.

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Created Mar 14, 2020 at 11:09am • Submit your own review...