This is a beautifully rendered, poignant account of a totally dysfunctional family. It is little wonder that this book won numerous awards and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. I simply could not put this book down, as the author had me transfixed with her story of growing up in such an unusual family.

Born to highly intelligent, creative parents who marched to the beat of a different drum, the author and her siblings had a difficult childhood. With a dreamer of a father who battled the bottle and a mother who was somewhat irresponsible and probably mentally ill, family life was a study in contrasts with an emphasis on independence, as well as artistic and intellectual pursuits, while spurning creature comforts, stability, and the much longed for three hots and a cot. This free wheeling philosophy, espoused by the author's parents, subjected their children to hunger, homelessness, and a nomadic existence. Yet, the children were resilient and thrived, even as their parents went on a downward spiral.

The author's story is positively riveting. It is a story of survival and eventual prosperity within mainstream society. It is a story about keeping one's head, when all around one others are losing theirs. The author's journey is certainly an amazing one, and I for one am delighted that she chose to share it with others. Those who enjoy reading memoirs and autobiographies will, undoubtedly, very much enjoy this one and be fascinated and moved by the author's singular, well-told story. Bravo!

The children in this story are amazing people. This story solidifies the fact that 'some people are not meant to have children'. I loved that the hardships that the children had to overcome DID NOT break their spirit for a better life. It made me appreciate the little things!

After reading so many positive reviews for this book, I was deeply disappointed by the content and writing style. The four-word sentences and atrocious punctuation were torture for me. The author may have wanted the memoir to be from a child's perspective but the childish writing style was simply too much to bear. And this from a professional writer? Easily eighty percent of the commas could have been deleted from this book with only beneficial results.
Also I found the book to be completely incredible. Walls describes in detail lighting herself on fire by cooking hotdogs as a three year-old. She describes the skin grafts and dressing changes, and even getting her first taste of chewing gum while in the hospital. She describes a look on a nurse's face. Yet never once does she mention pain. If this event could stand out in her memory in such detail the first thing she would remember is that it was extremely painful, as burns and skin grafts undoubtedly are. Not a word about it.
Her lack of insight into her past is astounding. There is no depth to her writing, no self-awareness, nothing learned from having lived such a difficult life. There is no point to this book. It was merely a series of mishaps--almost like an outline for a memoir that never got fleshed out.
I wanted to provide another positive review for this book; to talk about how moved I was by this courageous author's path to success. Maybe add something about how inspired I am to overcome my own adversities. Instead I'm left wondering how I could have been duped into paying ten dollars for this callow memoir.

Walls writes with a keen eye and a warm heart, I could not put this book down. Easily on my top 10 list, I plan to give this book to those readers on my Christmas list. Highly recommended!!

This tear jerking tale was one that brought tears to my eyes.The fact that the tale is true is just as amazing as Janette Walls herself.Many people go through times in their lives where they need courage, and if they are lucky they find it. Janette Walls had a childhood and adult life that have both called for an abundance of courage. Infact it seams that was the one constant in her life, she is a person of amazing strength in both living her life and telling this humbeling story. I will keep this book forever and read it many times!!!

Cant stop reading it and I am totally carried away by the value of Wall's family. The story is so touching and full of energy. Thumbs up!!!

The Glass Castle is the best book by far I have read all year. I couldn't put it down one of those I can't believe she survived books! It is a wonderful story, tear-jerker, a must read and a great book club book, you will definitely come away with your own sense of thankfulness for your own well-being.

*** This is an excerpt from a review on my blog. To read the entire review, go here: http://age30books.blogspot.com/2008/10/glass-castle.html ***
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When my book club chose The Glass Castle for this month's pick I was not thrilled. I have a rule against reading personal tragedy/childhood abuse memoirs. Add that to the fact that "everyone" is raving about this book and you can see where this is going. I do have another rule though: read whatever book the book club chooses, and (try to) do it with an open mind. It's a good thing that I have that rule because this is a great book!

...

Before I go on, I have to say that I listened to the audio version of The Glass Castle. ...[O]nce I popped that first cassette in my old car radio I was hooked. In my opinion the narrator of an audio book can make or break the book; this narrator definitely made it. She did an excellent job and I highly recommend the audio version.

Now, about the book itself. The Glass Castle is definitely not a "oh poor me" memoir, nor is it one that horrifies you with details of unimaginable child abuse. If I had to describe what happened to Jeannette and her siblings I'd call it neglect. But that's not it either. That word conjures up images in my mind that don't match this book at all. Maybe "forced independence" would be a better choice. Or not.

What I CAN say for certain is that the book is enthralling. The narrator is Jeannette as a child and she tells her story just as she experienced it, without any analyzing from her adult self. In that way it reminded me very much of Alexandra Fuller's memoir, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight (which I highly recommend - it's fantastic!).

...

My book club is meeting to discuss this on 11/15/08. I'll be posting a recap on my blog afteward in case you're interested.

I had never read a book which makes me totally absorb into, until I read this book. Although my English is not good, this book makes you wonder constantly and makes you turn the page without breaks. Many stories in the book were so dramatic and were hard to even believe, just because the author had had the great, rare and weird(?) experiences others don't have. I loved how she kept her positive attitude toward anything. She explains and describes things positively also. I admire her strength to tell the truth. And she is a great story teller! I made all my family to read it and bought extra for Christmas gifts. You will love it!

This inspiring book shows that no matter how bad your life is, you can change it for the better if you have the will.

I love reading about disfunctional families because I come from one. Jeanette's mom in this book was an exagerated version of my own mother. Never did the author get smarmy or wallow in self-pity. Instead it was easy to see the humor in all the incredible childhood memories. I felt I was living them with her.

(This review contains spoilers.)

This book was recommended to me by a number of friends and colleagues. I was initially excited to read it, and as the book went on and the family situation became more dire, it grew hard to read. All along, the quality of the writing and the consistency of the author's even-handed reportorial voice made the book worth giving a 4 or 5-star review. It's not really a flaw of the book that it's a struggle to read about children not having enough to eat, not going to school on a regular basis, not having health care, and living at the whim of their alcoholic and mentally ill parents. Nevertheless I had to force myself to read the middle of the book, which muted some of this amazing story's impact. It may have been my incredulity at the author and her siblings' seeming to let their parents off the hook too easily and not appearing to confront them or try to change their lives until they were nearly adults. Unlike some of the negative reviewers, I do believe that this is a true story. And it is has been meticulously and beautifully told. As the story neared its conclusion, I was glad to have stuck it out to witness the resilience of (most of) the children as they became adults and the way that they were able to individuate from their now homeless and ne'er do well parents.

I thought this book was brilliant. I didn't know too much about it and I took a chance on reading it. I'm so glad I did. It was very moving and powerful. I can relate to parts of Jeannette's childhood and I she really tugged at my heartstrings. Reading about her determination was inspiring and really makes you see how important it is to be the best person and parent you can be for your children.

kept me interested from start to finish- we read it for our book club everyone loved it !

very interesting life and great ending!

While I found the children of the Wells family to be sympathetic characters and I applaud their perserverance to achieve against all odds, I also found the book tedious reading in spots.

I feel that it was written more as a catharsis for the author rather than entertainment for the reader. However, I do admire her loyalty to parents who deserved none.

this book by far is the best book i have ever read. after i finished it i saw the author on oprah. she was remarkable and beautiful. i would recommend this book to everyone.

This book was so incredibly hard to put down. Its a tough read in the sense that it is so truthful about the hard lives of these children; however, with each page turned I began to accept their parents for who they were just as the children did and was better able to understand them. The writer did a fantastic and brave job with this print. My favorite of this year by far!

I have read many, many memoirs but this one tops them all. The author's voice is real and fresh . Her story is compelling. Who could imagine a life such as this? I read this practically in one sitting. Then I got on Amazon.com and ordered 4 more to have sent to friends and family.
This is an example of an author who hooks you in her opening page. Don't believe me? Read the first page....

I finished The Glass Castle in a few days. It was truly a wonderful read. Jeanette is as close to a modern day super woman as you can possibly get. It was amazing to read about all she and her family had been through. One would think she would just follow the footsteps of her father and being an alcoholic...but with a brilliant mind! She, however, did not. She used all her situations and turned them into valuable life lessons. She is an authentic example of how hard work and determination can get you to any place in life you desire! I look forward to seeing more of Jeanette's literary works in the future!

This is the first Memoir I can remember reading and saying it was a page turner and one of the best books I have ever read!! Your heart goes out to the children of the Walls family but then you don't want to but you do you feel sorry for the parents. What a journey this family had from the West coast, to Phoenix, AZ, Texas, a small mining town in West Virginia and finally NYC! This book will be with me for quite some time.

From the first page, this author grabbed me and I couldn't stop reading. I wanted to feel sorry for the family, but never once did I get the impression that they felt sorry for themselves. From struggle to success these kids are all surviors. My heart went out to them all during the book. I would recommend this book to all of my friends.

This memoir got book deals for several dozen marginal writers with bad childhoods, but those books have been awful compared to this one. Jeannette Walls has enough experience as a writer to tell a story. We have the typical bad dad -- the Angela's Ashes model where he may be a drunk and a gambler who doesn't take care of his family, but when he shows up, he's a Peter Pan figure who makes everything so much fun and magical for the children, they can't help but love him anyway. At first, the reader sort of loves him, too, but then the irresponsibility escalates.

Unfortunately, he is married to and having children with a self-centered artist (and she's not particularly a good artist, you can see her work on YouTube; she's ordinary)who is mentally unhinged. Most of the time she is oblivious to the terrible way the family lives, and when she is aware of it, she just cries and retreats into herself. She raises her children like animals, pretty much leaving them to fend for themselves, and she doesn't seem to connect to them like the father does, who is no more than a child himself. At least she doesn't drink. And she encourages everyone to read and treats the babies like fellow adults, so they mature quickly.

The way the children cope is almost miraculous. I'm not saying it isn't true. I guess under such dire circumstances, even small children can bring a creative survival instinct to the table.

I suppose out of respect for their privacy, Jeannette Walls is less detailed about how her siblings manage after they all leave home at such an early age. I'm thinking they must have arrived in New York City as teens sometime in the 1980s. Is it really this easy to get jobs and find affordable places to live in NYC? Now I feel really bad that I never tried it.

Walls also doesn't give any more detail about the mother's real estate holdings which provide a shocking conclusion to the book. It's hard to believe she never called to find out what they were really worth, and it's shocking they haven't forced the mother to sell them off. Maybe they're waiting for her to die. And if they're not worth much, it would negate the ending of the book, which is more dramatic with the possibility that all this time, the children were suffering and yet the mother had valuable property. (But if she had sold it, she and her husband would have blown all the money, even a sensational amount, in record time anyway, on foolish things. They were more childlike than the children.)

I applaud all the five star reviews who actually "GOT IT", in stark contrast to the negative ones who were obviously too short-sighted and couldn't see the forest for the trees. The author's depth of character is to be admired for her insight and compassion to see the redeeming qualities in her parents. In spite of the parent's chosen path in life, obviously not to cherish a shallow life full of "fancy things",the parents instilled in the children independant thought, principles, values, pride, self-sufficiency, self-worth, and how to love. A good many of the wealthiest children in the world are sadly lacking in all these qualities. BRILLIANTLY DONE BY AN OBVIOUS BRILLIANT, SPECIAL HUMAN BEING!! BRAVO!!!

an unexpected page turner for me. the glass castle caught me off guard in its honesty and reawakened my understanding of another world that lies beyond all the comforts of home. touching, that the author writes without judgment or resentment even though the story inspired both emotions in this reader.

The Glass Castle was so good that I couldn't put it down.
I am a mother of two children and would do anything to keep them healthy and safe. It's shocking to me that some people who choose to have kids are incapable of taking care of themselves, let alone their children.
It's a must read, difficult at times due to the abuse. We read it for our book club and it was a big hit.

Great narrator, fascinating story. A dysfunctional family at it's most bizarre and creative - had some very touching moments and some moments that make you angry. A fresh perspective on life, read by a terrific narrator.

This book was very well written. It definitely gives the reader a different perspective on the way some people view their place in society.
It is a fast read, and I highly recommend it.
Jen

If ever a person had the right to say they grew up in a dysfunctional family and had a bad childhood, it's Jeannette Walls, along with her siblings. They were raised in poverty so extreme that they had to dig through the trash at school to find something to eat. They lived in an unheated, uninsulated, termite-ravaged house with no indoor plumbing. Their parents were too busy with their own cares to concern themselves with the fate of their children. They were so filthy that other children, even poor ones, refused to play with or befriend them.

What makes this memoir really work is that the author doesn't sit around feeling sorry for herself. Instead, she presents the facts and lets them speak for themselves. And many of these facts are disturbing.

Each character lives his or her own personal tragedy. For me, the greatest tragedy was Jeannette's father, Rex Walls, who had a brilliant mind, remarkable creativity, and an enduring love for his family. His lost potential is heartbreaking. If he could have stayed sober, he had the capacity to be an incredible person and caregiver. But he was overcome by the addiction of alcoholism that prevented him from ever becoming the man and father he was meant to be. Instead, he was abusive of his wife, could not provide for the family (and in fact stole from the children), gave only broken promises, and used his daughter for his personal gain.

Rose Mary Walls was as aloof, selfish, and unmaternal as a mother could possibly be. Her focus, from beginning to end, was always on herself: her own wants, her own needs, her own suffering. She was so disturbingly self-absorbed and removed from reality that I had no choice but to assume she has an unnamed mental disorder.

The four siblings are wonderful together, and I was delighted when, one by one, they escaped their unsafe home and abnormal family environment. That they each made it out without being raped (there were close calls) and becoming a complete basket case is stunning. It is hinted that the youngest child, Maureen Walls, didn't fare as well as the others, but that three normal, intelligent, well-adjusted adults could result from such an environment is miraculous.

"The Glass Castle" is a great read -- but you need to be able to handle reading about child and animal cruelty, lack of parental supervision over young children, and parents who willingly put their children in dangerous situations.

I love the book. It's so fantastic!

I am a Graduate Film student at Columbia Chicago and I attended a book-signing of the "Glass Castle" by Walls at the University of Illinois - Chicago on Thursday the 18th. I had never read the book, but my girlfriend asked that I go. After hearing Walls speak on her story, I decided to pick up one of the free copies of her book. I read it from cover to cover the following day as I drove back home to southern Illinois from Chicago. The stories, though not at all identical to my stories of growing up, resonated with me and drew up memories from my past that I had long forgotten about. What a great read!

I remember Jeannette saying at the signing that she has checked the reviews on Amazon. So, Jeannette Walls, if you're reading this, I would love to do a grad student short film based on one of the chapters in your book. This film would not be for profit, only a class exercise. I already had an adaptation in the works for my class, but after reading your book I just had to give it a shot. I'm not sure how, but please contact me if this would be ok.

Thanks so very much.

B <><

This was a beautifully written memoir, full of warmth and humor while describing a lifetime of poverty and neglect. I loved it, and my mature 11 year old daughter is mesmerized by it.

This autobiography provides an example of how children, in the most disasterous situations, can not only survive but excel as adults. Three of four children of an alcoholic father who repeatedly broke his promises and a mother who was his voluntary partner/enabler were resiliant enough to provide the support they were denied by their parents and execute a successful escape plan.

The writing is wonderful---couldn't put the book down. But as I continued to read and become involved in the Jeanette's life, I was appalled that these 2 people, her parents, could treat their children with such neglect and abuse. Were they mentally incompetant? Could they really believe that starving their kids, making them live in squallor, no clothes, and continually on the run was an adventure. And at the end, to find out that the mother had land in TX worth one million dollars. I don't think I could forgive my mother for such neglect and irresponsibility.
Although, well written, and perhaps a catharsis for Jeanette, it just confirms the point that not all people should become parents.

I loved this book--absolutely riveting. The author is so matter-of-fact about her ordeal and defines true success in life. I'm in awe of her drive and ambition through the toughest times.

This memoir was outstanding. It is beautifully written & mesmerizing. I found myself laughing at one point and shaking with anger at the next. It is the kind of book that you just cannot put down and it is rich with discussion possibilities on the merits of family, responsibility & love. A must read!

With the first sentence I was sucked in. Never before have I read a story that was so real.

I feel like Miss Downer for not falling in love with this book. After reading several discussions and reviews my opinion has increased some but I still disliked the whole experience. Of course more than a little discomfort is necessary because of the subject matter and some of the things I doubted as factual have been defended by the author but I still am struggling with the concept of a woman who has over one million dollars in assets raising her children in squalor and letting them practically starve. I did notice that while in one discussion the author came on-line and defended her ability to find housing in New York City while she and her sister waited tables. She also defended her own response to the sexual assault by her uncle. However when asked about the land in Texas and the house in Arizona, she did not come back on and clarify things.

I understand it is author's license to present what she wants to present and withhold what she choses but a reader could get the impression that there are no health consequences to malnutrition (heck the author grew to a height of almost six feet!), no dental care (they didn't even brush their teeth and never went to the dentist) and little treatment to injuries. Some readers responded with comments about how much fun it must have been to be in the Walls family. Fun? To me it seemed like sheer torture.

EXTRAORDINARY! 7 stars

What a story! Jeannette grew up in a family that was almost unbelievable! Her parents were total whackos. Dad was a drunk with good intentions and big dreams but never followed through on anything. Her mother was more about herself. The fact that Jeannette and most of her siblings were able to get their lives together and live normally is remarkable.

I recommend this book highly. It's a good read and you never know what's going to happen next!

a wonderful book about a disfunctional family whose children overcame terrible odds. It will make you cry, laugh, and be happy for the obsticles that are overcome. a terrific read. i give it six stars!

One of my all time favorites! I love this book, found it very well written and it is truly a remarkable story. Highly recommend it!

In the genre of Angela's Ashes or Let's not go to the Dogs Tonight; Jeannette Walls had a totally unconventional childhood and has moved on to write about it in an oddly humorous, unsentemental manner which leaves the reader not only stunned but unable to put the book down. This story is all her own and she shares it beautifully. It will make you certain that you are not the "worst mother in the world", no matter what your teens say.

Read the book and I would recommend it to anyone that likes to read autobiographical books. Yes, there are people/children that live like that either through their own choice or not.

I couldn't put this book down once I started it. One of the best books I have read this summer by far. It's one of those books that you keep thinking about long after you've finished it. Loved it!

This is a wonderfully written autobiography. You will laugh many times. You will also cheer for these children to overcome their start in life.

"I had no idea what my life would be like then, but as I gathered up my schoolbooks and walked out the door, I swore to myself that it would never be like Mom's, that I would not be crying my eyes out in an unheated shack in some godforsaken holler." - Jeannette Walls

"I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening (party), when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster ... She had tied rags around her shoulders to keep out the spring chill ... To the people walking by, she probably looked like any of the thousands of homeless people in New York City ... I was embarrassed by them, too, and ashamed of myself for wearing pearls and living on Park Avenue while my parents were busy keeping warm and finding something to eat." - Jeannette Walls

THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls is the second-best book I've read this year to date, the best being Still Alice by Lisa Genova.

Rose Mary and Rex Walls were married in 1956. Over the next several years, they had four children - daughters Lori, Jeannette and Maureen and son Brian. Anti-establishment and anti-authoritarian individualists frequently on the run from something, the couple refused to enter the societal mainstream even to the extent of supplying their children with the conventionally acceptable American upbringing that stipulates freedom from hunger and the provision of adequate shelter and clothing. THE GLASS CASTLE is Jeanette's poignant and powerful memoir of growing up emotionally loved but materially deprived.

From Jeannette's narrative, it's soon apparent that her parents are gifted and intelligent human beings. Indeed, Rex, who's self-taught and knowledgeable about subjects that would challenge many university graduates, reads "Los Alamos Science" and "The Journal of Statistical Physics" and becomes interested in the Chaos Theory. Rex's mind is constantly ablaze with technically sophisticated plans and enrichment schemes, the former including designing The Glass Castle, an energy self-sufficient family home to be built of glass. However, Rex's rebellious streak against society, complicated by alcoholism, dooms him to a succession of failed blue-collar jobs and petty confrontations with the law that keep the Walls constantly on the move from California to Nevada to Arizona to West Virginia to New York City. In the Southwest, the family lives in a succession of dilapidated buildings in isolated, desert mining towns until Rose Mary inherits a home from her mother located in Phoenix, where life for Jeannette and her siblings is relatively good. Then Rex again becomes unemployed and the Walls move to the decaying coal mining town of Welch, WV, where Rex grew up. In Welch, the family's living conditions bottom out when they take up residence in a wretched, unheated, leaky, unplumbed shanty on stilts built on the side of a mountain. Here, the children don't even have enough to eat. Jeannette describes the experience of scavenging food at school:

"When other girls came in (the girls' restroom) and threw away their lunch bags in the garbage pails, I'd go retrieve them. I couldn't get over the way kids tossed out all this perfectly good food: apples, hard-boiled eggs, packages of peanut-butter crackers, sliced pickles, half-pint cartons of milk, cheese sandwiches with just one bite taken out because the kid didn't like the pimentos in the cheese. I'd return to the (toilet) stall and polish off my tasty finds."

I've had occasion to read memoirs by authors recalling happier upbringings: Knots in My Yo-Yo String by Jerry Spinelli, Blooming: A Small-Town Girlhood by Susan Allen Toth, Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir by Doris Kearns Goodwin, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir by Bill Bryson, Sleeping Arrangements by Laura Shaine Cunningham. In the early pages of THE GLASS CASTLE, I had to ask myself, "Is this a parody?" But one couldn't make up the events that Jeannette relates.

What's remarkable about Jeannette's story is her lack of bitterness towards her parents. Only on a couple of occasions does she even hint at laying blame on them for irresponsibility and negligence. Besides, her love for them endures. To me, and perhaps other readers with more "normal" childhoods, Rex's and Rose Mary's treatment of their offspring was neglect verging on abuse.

The fact that Jeannette and her siblings apparently grew up to be well-adjusted and, in the author's case, happily married and professionally and financially successful, is evidence for the resiliency of the human spirit. But, as you read THE GLASS CASTLE, you will perhaps weep and/or rage for the Walls children.

During their Phoenix period, Rex took Jeannette, whom he'd nicknamed "Mountain Goat", to the city zoo. There, led across a low fence by her Dad to get closer to a cage, Jeannette's palm was licked by a captive cheetah.

I'm really not much on non-fiction, but this book reads like a novel. Incredible what this woman went through as a child. Just shows the resiliency of children. So well written; you can picture every place and detail that is described. A book you won't want to put down, and will pass on to others.

I really liked this book. I felt completely sucked-in to the story. I found it to be well-written, and thoroughly entertaining. The characters are deep and well-developed. I highly recommend this novel; it's a great read!

Some scenarios in the book are outlandish/unrealistic. Additionally I had a hard time accepting that Jeannette would behave the way she did toward the end of the book, but overall I still give it 5 stars.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Wall is the type of book that makes you want to give your parents a hug and thank them for being such wonderful parents, no matter how bad they were. Wall was raised by free spirits who want their children to become toughened by life and believe firmly in survival of the fittest. Her mother wants to be an artist and not to be bothered by the inconvenience of feeding and caring for her children. Her father is brilliantly smart but also a vicious drunk. Every time I thought that her childhood couldn't get any worse, I would turn the page. Which is worse? The Christmas he lit the entire Christmas tree on fire (on purpose) destroying their presents or the time he chased his pregnant wife with the car through the desert at night until he pinned her against a rock wall. Wall's story of perserverance through adversity is inspiring and amazing. You can't help but admire the courage it took to survive what she did and accomplish everything she has since. The sick thing about the book. I finished it last night, and today I realized I was a bit sad that I didn't have any more of their crazy life stories to read about!

This story is truly a must read. Jeannette Walls writes an incredible story of courage and triumph! I love that a majority of the book was written from her viewpoint as a child...it makes the story that much more real and honest. I fell in love with all the characters, and yes, even her father and mother.

This book is sensational!

my son was assigned this as a "coming of age" book for 9th grade, and I was absolutely outraged. The language is vulgar and coarse. I was prepared to hate it. He asked me to read it and it is spectacular. But the emotions it generated were really intense, and frankly the parents are beyond defensible; they are not dysfunctional; they were sick, repulsive, narcissistic, paranoid, shameful and neglectful. In fact, words fail me. They were that despicable. I kept hoping a chapter would end with a kid pushing a parent into a river or setting them on fire. Oh, sure, Dad occasionally gave 'em some good insight or information about the universe or mankind, but put enough monkeys in a room with enough paper and typewriters....and the mother was even worse. Both parent's essentially pimped their kids for room, board, and gambling money. I've never had such emotions of anger and disgust about parenting. What sets this off is that usually there's one functional but co-dependent family member creating some attempt at normalcy. In this case, nothing like it. What an amazing testimony to the resilience and internal strength of these kids.
Read it. (just best let your kid read it when they are late high school or college!)

Bought this book for a beach vacation, and once I started reading, I never put it down. It was fascinating, and the author grabs you at the first story and never lets go.

Her parents are very complex individuals, so you can't simply hate them. In a few (very few) ways they are excellent parents. I liked the book because it's not a black and white view of the world -- the author tells the facts (at least I hope they're really true) and let's the readers make up their own minds.

You can't help but cheer for her and be amazed at how she doesn't let her unfortunate circumstances get her down. Her lack of self-pity is amazing!

This book will stay with you. I have recommended it to several friends who all report the same reaction as mine.