This memoir is absolutely unforgettable. They have made a movie based on this, and I have to say that Woody Harrellson as the father was PERFECT casting. I haven't even seen the movie, but his looks and his personality fit the character of her father perfectly.

The family is always on the run evading bills, rent, and the "Gestapo". The father is a drunk who can barely hold down a job. He spends their every penny on booze. But when he's not drinking, he dances with his wife and tells tall tales to his three children. The mother is aloof, completely neglectful on all accounts, and very self absorbed. She loves her art. It always took up her time, interest, and what little space they might have in their home. When Jeanette was 3, she was preparing her own meals. When she was 5, she fell out of their family car as it made a hard turn on a desert road. You can see moments like this where she resents her parents for their poor treatment and carelessness. The siblings are a great team, as siblings of rough homes usually are. They often take care of themselves and each other. They collect cans for money and work odd jobs for neighbors. But they also enjoy their freedom to roam and explore the desert, their favorite home.
Once for Christmas, the father took the children outside one by one into the desert night and told them to pick a star. He said years from now they would still have their stars... better than any material gift that fades with time. He is actually a very smart man, who had lost his job as an engineer. He never stopped learning, though. As the children grow, they continue to find odd jobs for money including babysitting, creating posters, and even scavenging. One day they find a diamond ring, the answer to SO many of their problems, but their mom puts it on her fingers and claims it as her own saying she deserved it. No food, no new clothes. The sisters evade sexual assault, just barely, too often. Even the brother was exposed to it by his own grandmother - explaining so many of their father's issues.

*******SPOILER WARNINGS********

The children begin saving their money to be able to go live in New York one by one, starting with the oldest. They refused to carry on in their current lifestyle. They get an apartment and jobs and begin a life better than they've ever had, which isn't much. The parents eventually follow them to NY and choose to live homeless. The children still attempted to hold family events on holidays, but they weren't always pleasant. I admired that they even wanted to try with their parents. By this point, I was so angry at her parents. I loved their determination and resiliency. I loved their hard work and the balance they all struck.

The Glass Castle - Likewise Book Reviews

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