The Glass Castle

I read Jeannette Walls's book Half Broke Horses awhile back and really liked it.  I'd recently been told that her first book, The Glass Castle, was even better, so I decided to try it out. The Glass Castle is the true story of the author's childhood.  She lived in a pretty dysfunctional family in the 60s and 70s with parents who moved around constantly.  Even though her parents were smart, loving people, Jeannette and her siblings were often without a home and without food, and her dad was an alcoholic. The book chronicles her growing up years and how she eventually finds her own way away from her parents.

This was a really interesting book.  It was incredible to read the type of things the kids in the Walls family went through...and to think that this little girl became a famous author is pretty amazing. I mean, things like eating butter for a meal because you're so hungry and it's all there is....or having a cardboard box as a bed.  It's sobering to think that there really are kids out there living lives like that. It was a pretty sad book but had plenty of comic relief and tender moments.  The book kept me interested, so I finished it pretty quickly and really liked it.  I actually liked her book Half Broke Horses better than this one, but it was still a really good book.  It did have some bad language and some mentions of sexual abuse, so I'd definitely categorize it as an adult book.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)