Wednesday, June 4, 2008

The Glass Castle



This book is a memoir of a little girl who grew up in a very dysfunctional family--her father was an alcoholic, and her mother was flighty, immature, and unable to take responsibility for her actions or their consequences. The story begins as Jeannette, the writer, is a little girl who starts a fire while cooking hot dogs--she was three years old. As a young girl, Jeannette is enamored with her father. He spins their circumstances in a way that is exciting to her--sleeping in cardboard boxes in a train depot is an adventure! It isn't until she is in her teens that she finally realizes what is happening. Her older sister moves out of the house as soon as she graduates from high school, and Jeannette and her brother soon follow. They make a budget, get jobs, and Jeannette even goes to college. Eventually, all 4 siblings move away from the family and start their own lives.

This story is heartwarming, full of hope, and interesting. Good read!

1 comment:

Daniel Coleman said...

Is this book OK for dudes to read? I'm a little nervous about possibly reading a chick book. :)