Book Review: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Mind-Blowing, Maddening, and Humbling

This was my second buddy read, chosen by my friend, Sarah. It turns out she has the most impeccable taste. It also turns out that I have found a safe place in memoirs when it comes to non-fiction. I'm still not sold on non-fiction to the point where that is where I gravitate to when I go to the bookstore. I'm not sure it will ever be a "first choice" option for me. That being said, I know that if I were to pick up a non-fiction novel, it will most likely be a memoir. Most definitely, it will be by Jeannette Walls.

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions and events. Jeannette Walls is an incredible human being for sharing her life's stories and most definitely for living through it all. I never wanted to set this book down. I had to constantly remind myself that is in fact not a work of fiction. I felt heartache, anger, disbelief, repulsion, defeat. It honestly might be a shorter list of what I did not feel as you do indeed feel it all.

As this is a memoir, we follow the life of Jeannette Walls herself. Wall's life included her three siblings and parents. We start out with a modern day Walls accidentally running across her homeless mother, retreating back to her home in partial embarrassment and shame. It isn't for lack of her trying to help, but her mother's insistent choice of how to live life. From there we dive into Wall's family past, starting at age three when she severely burned herself, needing hospitalization and skin graphs to repair the damage. After her father flees the hospital with her, we set off on adventure after adventure.

Walls lived a very nomadic life with her family, constantly jumping in and out of place after place. The things she experienced as the affects of her parents decisions were sometimes sweet, others terrible but always, always shocking. As I said before, half the time I couldn't believe that this was not a work of fiction. While we explore the point of view of the Wall's family life from Jeannette's voice, her sister was my favorite. I connected with her. I adored her. The Wall's siblings were everything to each other. Their bond to be cherished, as it was often times all they ever had. Their interactions were the only constant blessing, always touching and supportive.

This book was everything I could have ever wanted out of a non-fiction. If you are looking to explore outside the fictional realm, look no further. This is a book I will cary with me throughout my life and return to, again and again. Even now I itch to re-read it. I can see it to be a yearly read for me. It's a quick read for one and it is incredibly humbling. If you have not read this book, please do. 5/5 stars for me!

*Please note, this book does have several trigger warnings! Included and not limited to:

*child abuse, domestic abuse, child molestation