The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls (audio)

There haven't been many times when I can say that a book turned me into a bi-polar maniac with homicidal tendencies. But it happened with this one. One minute, I felt an uncontrollable rage down in my gut, to the point I was ready to unleash the beast on anyone who crossed me, and the next minute I was laughing. Most of you are nodding your heads, because I am close to the last person on earth who has experienced this wonderful biography "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls.

To the casual passer-by, Jeannette Walls is a beautiful, statuesque red-head, an accomplished journalist who has worked for MSNBC.com among other news agencies. But for those who have read her life story, she is truly a study in the tenacity of human spirit, determination and good old-fashioned hard work. It is all of these things, and by the grace of God, that this woman is where she is today.

Let's just start with Jeanette's colorful parents. Her mother can only be described as a flighty, eccentric, irresponsible flower child. A woman who feels her true calling in life is to be an artist, food and bills be damned. A woman who would rather have an adventure than worry about having a permanent home, distrusts authority and loathes order. A woman who would rather keep some land in Texas in the family than cashing in a making millions. Jeannette's father is a life-loving drunk. He is incredibly gifted and intelligent, has dreams of making it big, but has a hard time holding down a job for more than a month or two. It is always somebody else's fault, you see. THE MAN is dragging him down.

So Jeanette and her three siblings are often left to fend for themselves. At three, Jeannette had grown skilled at making hot dogs for the other children when they get hungry, until she catches her dress on fire and ends up in the hospital with third-degree burns. They never stayed in one place long, often living in their car. While the children eat margarine to survive, their father spends his take-home pay on booze and cigarettes, while their mother paints the next masterpiece, or wanders off to "find herself". These children learn early that they can't get attached to a pet, a toy or even a rock collection. Their father may have to escape authorities and leave town on a moment's notice.

When Jeanette is pubescent age, the family travels from Arizona to West Virgina to stay with her father's family. They soon discover that not only is Grandma a pedophile, but Uncle is too. When Uncle tries to molest Jeannette, Mom just tells her that they need to feel sympathy for him because he is lonely. Jeanette's father uses her to captivate low-lifes in various bars to make it easier to swindle them for a few bucks in a pool game. As the children get older and realize their only hope is to escape to New York, and save all of their money for over a year to make the dream come true, dear old dad breaks their piggy bank and takes everything to buy booze. At this point, I was ready to fly into a rage and claw Dad's eyes out. This is wrong in so many ways!

But how can I continue to feel this way, when at the same time, Dad "gives" each kid a star in the sky for Christmas? Takes Jeanette on a honest-to-goodness demon hunt to make sure it doesn't get her at night? Promises to build them all a glass castle that they will all live in and be happy ever after? Even once Jeannette does move to New York and make it on her own, she continues to love her mom and dad, even though they are basically homeless and get their food from a dumpster.

While all of this sounds like the world's biggest downer, it isn't. Walls' voice is matter-of-fact, unencumbered and very untainted, despite everything she has seen. She keeps her humor, even in the darkest of times. Throughout her life, she was always her father's number one supporter, believing in him to the very end.

The narrator of this audio, Julia Gibson, gives a phenomenal performance. She captures Walls' essence, with a little backwoods twang and a little childlike innocence. Listening to her voice is like enjoying a healthy slice of cheesecake for dessert. Never once did I check my watch, or feel that I had to force myself through a chapter. It was effortless listening from beginning to end.

Serendipitously, I just received the latest EW and found a book review of Walls' latest published work, Half Broke Horses, about her grandmother. I doubt that Ms. Walls will ever be short of material to write about. May this book be just as successful, as uplifting, and as inspirational as her first.

5 out of 5 stars