The Glass Castle is a memoir of the tough and challenging childhood of Jeannette Walls. The memoir is so widely popular that two years after its release in 2005, it had sold over 2.5 million copies and it currently has a movie under production by Paramount. Having sold millions of copies, and a movie to boot, you know that The Glass Castle cannot disappoint.

Jeannette Walls is the second child of the Walls family and lived with her older sister Lori, younger brother Brian, and soon, her younger sister Maureen. Her father, Rex Walls was a struggling alcoholic who could at times be caring and thoughtful, but because of his drinking problems, he spends the little money the Walls have on alcohol. Her mother, Rose Walls is very artistic, and is always painting. She even has a degree in teaching, and uses it to earn herself teaching jobs.

The title of the memoir comes from a promise that Rex Walls had promised his daughter, Jeannette. He told her that when they struck it rich, he would build her a glass castle. As such, the dream of the Walls family was to become wealthy, and leave their old life behind.

The Walls traveled all across America looking for opportunities to make money, but without much money to their name, they sometimes slept in their car, (which they almost always name). And when the going got rough, they just packed up their bags in the middle of the night and went onto a new city, to look for more opportunities.

My first impression of this memoir was that I wasn’t going to enjoy it and it was just going to become a chore to read, but after I had read the last sentence of the memoir and closed the book, I can honestly say that I was left wanting to know more about Jeannette’s life! I was literally drawn into her life from her descriptive style of writing. I felt like I was watching the events of her life unfold as if I was there myself.

If you’re looking for something to pass the time while you’re waiting in line, or you need to entertain yourself because you’re bored, or if you want to teach someone that their lucky to be so fortunate, then read The Glass Castle and I assure you that you will be mesmerized and you will not be able to put this memoir down.