The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

The story, The Glass Castle, is a memoir of Jeanette Walls, who grew up with a jobless mother and an alcoholic father that managed to drive the family into poverty with his horrible habit. The book begins with a story of Jeanette’s first memory—catching on fire from the stove while cooking hot dogs for lunch when she was just three years old. Her father decided to get her out of the hospital “Rex Walls Style”, by basically running away without paying for the hospital stay. It is quickly evident that the parents were not responsible. The family of five never remained in one location for longer than a few months, because, as her father would say, the mafia and the FBI were after him. During one particular move, the family got a U-Haul truck. Since there was little room in the front, the parents had the kids sit in the back on a ten-hour trip. In the dark room, the three kids were told to be silent and care for their new baby sister. The book continues with outrageous stories of Jeanette’s childhood, until one day, they end up in an extremely run-down home in Virginia, where Rex Walls bought a house in a poor neighborhood for almost no money. The young teenagers finally realize that in order to escape poverty, they will have to save and hide money from their parents. Together, they plan to run away to a new town without their parents and start their lives over. First, the eldest, Lori, graduates and goes to New York to get a job and a small apartment. Jeanette comes a few years later after she graduates, and Brian follows. The siblings escaped the poverty-stricken life, but no matter how much they offered, their parents would not accept their help.

Reading this book makes you really appreciate what you have. It will break your heart as you read what the children went through at such young ages. They were forced to fend for themselves early in life. Soon they learned to care for each other, but they lacked the basic amenities in life. It was astonishing to me that this was a true story, and real kids had to go through this.