(11/29/2010)
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls was an unbelievably heartfelt novel that people of all ages can relate to. Jeannette Walls tells the true story of her turbulent life. The book begins at the age of three, where she is living with her family in a trailer in Arizona. After cooking hot dogs by her self one afternoon she becomes hospitalized for severe burns. Shortly after that her father, Rex walls, shows up and tells her they are going to do the old ske daddle. They just leave the hospital without a moments notice and from then on her life is a blur from one city to the next. Las Vegas, San Francisco, and many other small desert cities. Her mother is a free spirited woman who lives through her paintings. The oldest child is Lori, smart and determined. The second being Jeannette, always the hard worker. The third is Brian, adventurous and in love with the outer realms of the Earth. The youngest sister is Maureen, some what detached and far from the rest of the family. Throughout Jeannette's childhood her father tells them stories of the Glass Castle in which he is going to one day build. This infamous castle is to be their future home. However tall his tales are it is without a doubt that the family is tightly woven together through the things that set them apart from everyone else. This is a true story of a family struggling to survive. Whether it be food in their bellies or a steady job for their father. Its compassionate, bitter, sad, elevating and even horribly surprising. This story of love and terror will stick with you until well after the last page is turned. It is a book to be remembered and to be reflected upon. Something so delicate its readers will not know whether to shed a tear or a smile.