Now a major motion picture from Lionsgate starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts. MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST The perennially bestselling, extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, “nothing short of spectacular” (Entertainment Weekly) memoir from one of the world’s most gifted storytellers.The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, … is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette’s brilliant and charismatic father captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn’t want the responsibility of raising a family.
The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.
The Glass Castle is truly astonishing—a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.
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I really enjoyed this memoir. Jeanette Walls had such a difficult childhood, but managed to make the best of it and work her way up in journalism. Definitely an inspiration to rise out of a bad situation.
This is the true story of the author’s childhood. Jeannette and her 3 siblings grew up with transient parents who moved them all over the country. They never had much money, her dad was an alcoholic, and her mother only cared about herself. Neither of her parents ever held down jobs for more than a few months, and the children often went …
A heartbreaking true story. This book made me laugh and cry. It proves that against all odds an individual can overcome all adversities and make a success out of their life.
Amazing! There were parts of this book that hit home with me and I commend the author for her honesty. Jeannette’s life was full of ups and downs as she traveled with her family following her parent’s dreams. With a bottle of booze in one hand and the fear of the mob tracking him down, Dad had a one-track mind. Dear mother had issues of her own …
It made me thank God that my parents were not like that. I know someone who was like the father and he drove his wife to madness. His son will not have anything to do with him and his daughter died in an accident because she married another person not living in reality.
I really enjoy reading memoir and I have no explanation for why it has taken me a decade to read this one. Thankfully, I didn’t even see the movie, so there was no spoiler for me. If I didn’t know it was memoir, I wouldn’t believe these four siblings could survive this upbringing. You get the feeling they were loved, but in a bizarre and …
This is a wonderfully rendered story about our bonds to family and how those bonds define and limit us. Wells tells the tale of her outlandish parents, and the resilience of their children, with unflinching honesty and a humor born of disappointment and shame. Makes you want to hug her and also makes you hope she finds peace, contentment, and love …
A true story that I just loved from one end to the other. It’s a story about survival. It is amazing how this girl grew up as a child in the conditions she lIved in. The most amazing thing is that her story has brought her fame and fortune. I couldn’t put it down!
A really great read
This is one of the only books that hit every emotion! When I finished the book- I hated it. After I thought about, I realized that any book that can capture your emotion the way this one did, it was a good well written book!
What a memoir!
This is one of the best memoirs about a traumatic childhood experience I have read. The author’s honesty, emotional fortitude, level-headedness, and ability to be understanding and forgiving is remarkable. She managed to lift herself up and better her life; some of her siblings did not fare so well, which is understandable. A must read.
Very good with an unexpected ending.
Sad.
Great read. Kept my interest the entire time. Interesting aspect of family dynamics and how it effects each member differently
Interesting is the word I’d choose. Sad, but not dreary.
As I listened to this audiobook I experienced a range of emotions. I was at once amused and then frustrated. Furious and then impressed. I mourned, rejoiced, and worried. And all the while, I felt a profound measure of compassion and empathy for this family (even while I wanted to shake the parents for their bullheaded selfishness).
What Walls …
I am a retired teacher and I never dreamed that after 23 years of teaching that there would be a family situation which would surprise me. I was stunned. It’s a book everyone should read.
This is an amazing story of a young woman’s triumph over her upbringing by parents who were mentally unstable and neglectful.
I love her books!! I love the way she writes!