An Insightful, MUST-Read

This book, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, was my most recent pick for our book club. It turned out to be one of the best reads we have ever had in our group, with everyone woman finishing it and being touched in some way by the story. In fact, 3 of the 9 who showed up last Saturday for our brunch and discussion could personally relate to aspects of the memoir, a highly unlikely coincidence given the unusual events in the author's life. Walls grew up in a family with parents who were eccentric, nomadic travelers, moving the family from home to home throughout the US whenever they ran out of money or work (which was often) or the father felt the feds or Mafia were finally catching up with him (they were never chasing him in the first place). Along with her 3 siblings, Walls learns what it means to be an adult at a very young age and learns how to be extremely resourceful when there were very few luxuries, things we all take for granted such as beds to sleep in, things to do and play with, food to eat, etc. Unbelievable as the events in this memoir are (I found myself involuntarily commenting aloud at various times), Walls does not use her work as a platform for self-pity or rage against her parents. She never comes across as depressed or critical of them. This book is a magnificent read that will make most of us see our families in a new light and appreciate a story that will stay with us for years to come.