Jeannette Walls

The book begins with a flood. Literally, on the first page a flash flood threatens the lives of three young children in Texas. From that second on the book completely hooked me. This addictive read is a “real life novel” from the author of The Glass Castle (which I loved). Her first book chronicled her own unconventional childhood. This book tells her grandma Lily’s story.

It’s a “novel” because she allows Lily’s voice to tell the story and doesn’t question the amazing show more stories that have been passed down orally in her family. The style is perfect and I think it would have felt stilted and forced if written in any other way. Lily is a spitfire and led one hell of a life. It’s rare for me to feel so completely sucked in to a nonfiction book. I had a hard time putting it down, because there was no end to the trials Lily faced. Her life reads like a movie.

Whenever she decided she wanted something, she just rolled up her sleeves and made it happen. She didn’t shy away from hard work, but she also never became complacent in her life and settled for what she had. Her strong personality was off-putting to many people in her life, but that never stopped her. She stood her ground regardless of public opinion. She was determined, brave and a fierce advocate for her children.

“I realized that you can get so used to certain luxuries that you start to think they’re necessities, but when you have to forgo them, you come to see that you don’t need them after all.”

If you’ve already read The Glass Castle (definitely not a necessary thing to do before reading this) you’ll be interested to learn more about the author’s mother Rosemary. This book explains her upbringing, which sheds a lot of light on why she turned out like she did. It’s not a perfect book, but I loved it. So whether you’re interested in learning more about their family or just want a great story, read this!

The book is packed with too many great one-liners to mention, but here are a few of my favorites…

"The only difference between a traitor and a patriot is your perspective."

“If you want to be reminded of the love of the Lord, Mom always said, just watch the sunrise. And if you want to be reminded of the wrath of the Lord, Dad said, watch a tornado.”

“Some times after I finished a particularly good book, I had the urge to get the library card, find out who else had read the book, and track them down to talk about it.” show less

I’ve wanted to read this memoir for a few years, putting it on my wish list, and every so often trying to remember to buy it: then my friend sent me a copy—someone who knows my crazy dysfunctional family history—and I finally got to spend a few days reading about the Walls’ kids, who had survived way worse stuff than I could imagine. As her story unfolded the words to a Kelly Clarkson song “Whatever doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger” played like a soundtrack in my mind. I show more found myself simultaneously getting angry, crying and laughing with every turn of the page: sometimes throwing down the book fuming “these parents make me so mad!” But I couldn’t wait to find out how Jeannette and her siblings made it through each heart-wrenching trauma. The end was worth the ride. The Glass Castle left me with so many questions and what ifs’, that days later I still ruminate on it amazed again that any of us from these types of families survived our childhoods.

This memoir is worth the hype. I hope you’ll read it, but be warned because of the lack of parental care and neglect; the kids were easy targets for perverts and bullies. 5 stars. show less

I’ve had a hard time reading “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls. Walls describes the horrors (and a few good times, few and far between) of her childhood and adolescence.

While I kept wishing someone had intervened, I still felt thoroughly disengaged from the memoir. Walls describes everything without allowing any emotions to shine through. “Glass Castle” reads like it has been written by a detached observer. It’s a sterile, antiseptic report, which is undoubtedly well-written show more but, to me, not very interesting.

Only during the very first chapter are there any meaningful emotional components and in her acknowledgements, Walls states being “grateful [...] to my father, Rex S. Walls, for dreaming all those big dreams”. These are the dreams of a man who repeatedly tried to sell his own daughter to strangers to rape her. Moreover, he goes on to victim-blame her.

Walls is also grateful to her mother “for believing in art and truth” - a truth her mother gaslit her children away from, and a truth that includes possession of land worth a million that’s being kept in the family for no reason at all while the kids literally starve, freeze, and suffer from neglect, among other hardships.

Don’t get me wrong: Walls, just like anyone else, is, of course, welcome to feel and think any way she likes. Nevertheless, what precedent does that set for other parents like hers?

In different ways, I have my own childhood traumas caused by my father (and was blamed for them by my mother). I breathe more freely since his death in August 2024. Hadn’t it been for the misplaced piety of others, I would have had him dumped into my mother’s grave, alone with an undertaker.

Three stars out of five for the effort.

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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam show less

Loved loved loved it. I'm a simple gal--I want a good story, told in an interesting voice, with at least one likable character. Bonus points for not trying to make me cry. This book, told in the first person, was full of great characters, dialog was always good and believable, and even events that were actually pretty tragic were told in that no-nonsense voice rather than milking them for drama. yay!

I've seen this described as Little House for adults, and that has some validity. I'd say show more there's a better connection with Caddie Woodlawn. Lily Casey is who I wish I was. Had the book been wholly fiction, it might have seemed a bit thin, but she's such a dynamic character that I'd likely have enjoyed it just the same.

Review Haiku:

Hearse full of schoolkids?
It's just their bus, don't worry
No dead kids! It's safe. show less