Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle is a memoir that recounts the life of the author in her dysfunctional family. Jeannette desires stability—something that was never provided in her childhood because of poverty, neglect, and constantly moving from place to place. Jeannette learns to depend on herself—the most reliable person in her life. She immerses herself in her education and saving her own money, eventually moving to New York City with her siblings to seek further opportunities that would never have been available to them without breaking away from their dysfunctional upbringing. Jeannette achieves her own individual independence, but she continues to struggle with her past and the complexities regarding her parents. At the novel’s conclusion, Jeannette’s time away from her family enabled her to gain the ability to forgive, understand, and recognize the flaws within her family. While her upbringing negatively impacted her, it positively influenced her identity as she developed the strength and resilience to pursue further fulfillment in her life.
I would recommend this novel; I appreciated the ways in which it communicated that you are more than what happens to you. The Glass Castle was encouraging and it was real, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about how Jeannette was able to grow from her experiences.