'The Glass Castle'

 Beware...once you open The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, you're not going to be able to put it down.  It's a compelling autobiographical story about how the author learned, at a very young age, the true meaning of "survival of the fittest".  She overcame extreme poverty, hunger, neglect, child abuse and...the list goes on and on. 

Walls shares some very disturbing anecdotes about her childhood.  She tells you, in a neutral-tone, what it was like to live with a delusional mother and an alcoholic father.  It's up to the reader to come up with her/his own conclusions.  It broke my heart to learn that she and her siblings had to rummage through dumpsters to find something to eat, while her mother sat at home because she simply didn't want to work.  Her father drank away the little money they had, equally contributing to their dire situation.  In their twisted "parenting" ways, they did one thing right...they instilled a love for books and knowledge.  What's really inspiring about Walls' story is that despite or because of her background...she's been able to accomplish so much for herself.  It's amazing to see her optimism and lack of resentment.  In the midst of such turmoil, her spirit was bruised, but never broken.

Comments

[B. Margarita Ramirez]

The book is too sad for me, and you hit it right on the head when you said it was in neutral-tone. I was not inspired to keep on reading it. I guess it was not a book for me. I got disgusted to learn of yet another couple having kids w/o raising them properly when there are so many other awesome couples not being able to conceive.