The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

When I first finished The Glass Castle, I sat for a full afternoon staring at my computer hoping to find the right words to explain what it was like to read it.  It’s been almost a month since I finished it, and I still am having a hard time expressing my feelings about it.  Jeanette Walls writes in a way that makes you feel like you are reading your favorite fairy tale, except that her story doesn’t exactly have a fairy tale ending.  It’s a story of resilience and redemption, all through the eyes of woman who decided to take off the rose-colored glasses of her childhood. If you’re looking for a raw and unapologetic memoir, this is the one for you.

Folks, I’m going to cut right to the chase with this one.  The Glass Castle has been met with some skepticism by those who think this memoir isn’t entirely all fact.  I’ll admit, some chapters I had to suspend belief that Walls remembers these details herself.  As a whole, I have full faith that Walls gleaned the extra details from her siblings and her mother so that the story she wants to tell is full and complete.  

With that, I have to admit that this is a hands-down-no-brainer-five-star-read for me, but not because this was an “enjoyable” book.  The events of Walls’ childhood are difficult.  They may make you uncomfortable if you are not a fan or reading about emotional and physical abuse.  In the first chapter alone, Walls tells the story of how at age 3 she gave herself third degree burns by boiling hot dogs alone.  She had an extensive hospital stay, complete with skin grafts.  (Here’s one of those moments you have to trust that Walls got her details from her family members.)

The content was indeed difficult, but Walls handles her story delicately.  At the same time, she refuses to shy away from the reality of her childhood (poverty, instability, homelessness, malnourishment, malnutrition, unreliable parents).  Walls describes it perfectly in her own words as “dancing between turbulence and order.”   

In my mind, Dad was perfect, although he did have what Mom called a little bit of a drinking problem.

As I said earlier, Walls has a very inviting writing style that reminded me of a fairy tale.  Because we learn about events in Walls childhood through her perspective at the time, it seems only fitting that they are portrayed in this way.  By balancing both her memories as a child and as an adult, Walls shows the readers how her memories were originally deceptive.  Growing up she saw her father as a dreamer, an engineer, but as she grew older she realized that his dreams would never turn into realities.

I don’t want to give too much away from the story by giving you too many details.  Each chapter is an episode, with each story building upon the last. Walls doesn’t shy away from her past.  She tells the raw truth and exposes some interesting themes in the meantime.  She explores the power of loyalty and the impact it can have on a family.  She works through the complicated feelings she has about her parents’ actions, while continuing to love them through it.  Her story is a testament for difficult family dynamics, and that love is unconditional.

This is one of those books I’m going to actually leave my book darts in, friends.  If that’s not a sign of a good book, I don’t know what is.  The Glass Castle has been a great conversation starter in my personal life, with many of my friends from across the country messaging me to tell me their thoughts.  Believable or not, this is a story that does create an opportunity for exploration into your own rose-colored view of the past and for deeper conversations on memories versus reality.

TL/DR: Just read it.
Rating: 5/5 stars