Last review of the year! The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

~ Book Club Mom

The Glass Castle
by
Jeannette Walls

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I read The Glass Castle when it was first published in 2005 and recently re-read it for a book club discussion. I tore through it the first time and the same thing happened to me the second time. Even though I remembered a lot about the book, I was just as engrossed in the author’s memoir and how she and her siblings were (for the most part) able to break out of the unhealthy dynamic in which their parents raised them.

The book begins in New York City, where Jeannette, now an adult, spots her mother, who lives on the street, rooting through the trash. She must decide whether to talk to her or turn the other way. Readers then learn about Jeannette, at three years old, cooking hot dogs on the stove and suffering severe burns when her dress catches fire.

Jeannette and her siblings grew up in the 1960s and 70s in a chaotic household, living in squalor and suffering from neglect. The family moved a lot, through Arizona, California, Nevada, and eventually showed up at their father, Rex’s parents’ house in a destitute coal-mining town West Virginia. Throughout their childhoods, their father, although smart and talented, could not hold a job due to his distrust of authority and his battle with alcoholism. They often had to “do the skedaddle” to avoid bill collectors and sometimes the law. He was a dreamer who promised his family he would make it big with his plans to design and build a solar-powered glass castle—if he could just get the right materials and the right break to make it happen. Their mother, Rose Mary, a teacher, refused to work, choosing instead to write and paint. At times, when the family was desperate for money, their mother got short-lived jobs teaching. But the children had to force her to get up and go. At night, they graded papers for her, just so she could keep the jobs, even if it was just for a little while.

The kids were smart. And so were the parents. They would often all sit around and read for hours at a time. The difference was the kids knew they had to get out to survive. Rex and Rose Mary started their lives young and hopeful, but they fed off each other in destructive ways, falling victim to their own weaknesses.

The children eventually left their parents and moved to New York where they worked hard to build their own lives. Some struggled more than others, including the youngest sibling, Maureen.

What struck me most was how the children and their parents still thought of themselves as a family and maintained contact with each other throughout their lives, even if it was sometimes sporadic. There were times when, as adults, the children took their parents in, but in the end, Rex and Rose Mary preferred to live as squatters, on the fringe.

Despite the depressing and hopeless nature of much of the book, I finished feeling okay about it because the children’s fortitude was inspiring. I recommend The Glass Castle to readers who like stories about perseverance and overcoming difficult times.

You might also like Educated by Tara Westover. I did!

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32 thoughts on “Last review of the year! The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls”

    1. Hi Beth, yes a very difficult read. Things never got better for the kids until they moved out, and even then, they had their struggles. Thank you for reading and commenting. Happy New Year!

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    1. I read The Glass Castle when it first came out. I’d have to reread to remember the details. The one thing I do remember clearly was thinking one person in my early life, who I thought quite cruel, really could have been much worse. It was rather healing for me.

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      1. Hi Pat, that’s a good insight. The parents’ neglect was so extreme that it puts things in perspective. Thank you for reading and commenting and Happy New Year!

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  9. I had mixed feelings about the book, I must say. Having worked with foster children I know how much they long for family … and how damaging those families can be. I definitely couldn’t read it twice! HNY!!!

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    1. Hi JT. I get that. Those kids were very family oriented, but they had no exposure to a stable one. And their time in West Virginia (IMO) was the worst. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. Happy New Year!

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  10. This book was heartbreaking, but I agree, there is hope at the end. The sad thing is that there is no help for families that live like this, or, it’s there, but their mental health is such that they won’t accept it. Great review, Barbara.

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    1. Hi Carla, yes, the parents didn’t think there was anything wrong with how they were raising their children. At the core level, teaching them to be independent and resilient was a good thing, but the neglect was sad. There was one point when Jeannette was afraid social services would split them up and she worked hard to keep the house in order. Thank you for stopping by 🙂

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  12. This is such a good book. I actually met Jeanette Walls. She was a guest speaker at a function in Vancouver. She said in spite of it all, she still loves her parents.

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    1. Hi Darlene – thanks for stopping by. I am sure hearing Jeannette Walls speak was very interesting. I got that vibe about how the family felt for each other, despite everything. Happy New Year!

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  13. I enjoyed this book when I read it years ago, despite some of the very depressing parts. I think, like you, I liked knowing that Jeanette ended up with a successful career in writing, which is clearly her gift!

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    1. Hi Ann – I know what you mean. In the end, despite the depressing events in Jeannette’s life, I found the book to be uplifting because of her resilience. Thanks for reading and commenting!

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