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The Glass Castle

Jeannette Walls

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Aug 04, 2017 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: appalachia, american-nonfiction, nonfiction

This book was a wild ride. Walls would be roundly criticized for being too unrealistic if this were a work of fiction. The story of her upbringing in a very, very nontraditional family with a larger-than-life alcoholic father and a mother who was a hoarder, both with bipolar disorder and unequipped to parent in safe way, is riveting. The book is written as a series of very short vignettes, and every single story she tells is eye-popping. But this is not poverty porn; Walls' views on her family a ...more

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Jul 21, 2008 treehugger rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: women, popular_lit, memoir, own_it, non-fiction, myfaves, read_2010, appalachia

Really great, unbelievably moving story, well-told, gripping. I read it in 24 hours! Also gave new meaning to the Half Broke Horses audiobook I recently finished portraying Jeannette's grandmother's life.

What kept astonishing me was that both of her parents were so doggone SMART - how in the WORLD did they justify in their own heads how they were raising their children?? Crazy good. ...more

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Mar 12, 2009 Cindywho rated it really liked it

Shelves: biography__memoir

This was a quick read - entertaining, yet creepy and sad - about the second daughter of two overwhelmed and irresponsible parents. Yep, living with craziness and in poverty is not fun. I've heard worse stories, but this one was told well and with kindness on the part of the teller. ...more

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