This is the memoir of a woman who was raised by an alcoholic father and an "excitement addict" mother. She writes about her impoverished, neglected, and transient childhood. Not exactly an upper. However, it is a gripping and fascinating story and I could hardly put it down. I was amazed that Walls could write about her parents with such compassion and understanding. I certainly would like to give them both a good smack. I also enjoyed reading of how she and most of her siblings were able to achieve independent and fulfilling lives despite their troubled childhoods and it gave me a different perspective on homelessness and people who choose to live in poverty. If you're looking for a book that will make you feel like parent of the year, this is a good candidate! Our library put a "teen" label on this one, but I'm not so sure. There is quite a bit of cussing, but I can see it being an inspirational read for a more mature teen.
1 comment:
Hi Megan:
I thought "The Glass Castle" was a fabulous book too. I found this true story fascinating. Every time I thought I was done reading it for the night, I would end up reading two or three more chapters. It was a wild and at times unbelievable story that had me laughing one minute and shaking my head in disbelief the next.
Another book about people living a life against the grain, is "Sweetness in the Belly" by Camilla Gibb. It's a remarkable book as well--the story of a white girl growing up as a Muslim in Ethiopia. A real journey, with multiple settings and well-developed characters. I found it hard to put this one down too. I discovered it on the book site I came across. You might want to check it out. I found a few new reading ideas there. The web address is http://www.juicespot.ca.
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