Book Review

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I opened the front cover of the book and saw this statement: “Some people are born storytellers.  Some lives are worth telling.  The best memoirs happen when these two conditions converge.  In The Glass Castle, they have.” –New York Newsday

After finishing the last page of this book, and closing the back cover, this is exactly how I felt.  This story is about one tough cookie of a girl!  Most likely, I’ve dubbed her the ‘toughest girl I know’ only because I don’t think I’d have half her toughness if faced with the same story.  I couldn’t imagine living a life of popcorn for dinner on the rare occasion you had dinner; having to go collect my drunken father from the local bar; fighting off bullies unsuccessfully day after day.  But somehow, this girl, and her siblings, always found some little thing that made them happy, and maintained a drive that helped them to be successful (well most of them). 

The part of the book that touched me the most was the evolution of Jeannette’s relationship with her dad.  I’ve had the pleasure of growing up with a father who I thought could do everything, never get hurt, and was the smartest guy around.  And that’s exactly what Jeannette thought of her father when she was small.  Throughout the book, she slowly learned of her father’s limitations.  And although most daughters do, Jeannette had serious limitations to stare in the face.  Somehow she managed to still love her dad to the end. 

This book makes you evaluate and appreciate the good relationships that you have.  It makes you look at the next homeless person on the street a little differently – wondering what their story could be.  It makes you ache for children whose parents are fools!  It certainly impressed on me the responsibility of parenthood.

The end of the book talks about the life Jeannette builds for herself after leaving her parents, but it didn’t spend much time talking about the effects her early life had on her later life.  I wondered how her experience affected her first failed marriage, and what were the reasons behind her not having kids of her own (at least none were mentioned in the book). I’m sure that the second act of her life story could be made into a book of its own..

Sad story, but an excellent read.  Why only 4 stars? I don’t know..  I guess I’m still waiting for that gut feeling I expect to get when the 5-star book comes along *smile*.

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--TamSam
Mood: Reflective