The Glass Castle: A Memoir: 07/09/13

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls is a memoir of her childhood living in steadily increasing poverty, mostly from her own parents problems (mother's obsessive interest in art and father's alcoholism). It's not a particularly pleasant book to read (or listen to) but it is certainly memorable.

After a brief "present day" scene where the author sees her mother digging through garbage on a New York City street, the book goes back in time to her first memory. It involves watching her dress catch on fire as she's trying to make herself hot dogs. Because her parents are too damn distracted to feed her.

Eating (and not being able to eat due to food scarcity) as well as dangerous living conditions (fire, cockroaches, crumbling foundations, rotting garbage, etc.) are recurrent themes.

As a parent struggling sometimes with finances, I listened to this book wondering at the mindset behind the parents. Especially later when it's revealed how much of the family's on going decline was self imposed.

Four stars

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