The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle (2005) by Jeannette Walls. The best, most readable, most enjoyable book I've read this past year. Walls' life defies belief, yet it is told with such clarity, such sly wit, that it cannot be denied. Her parents, both mentally unstable, are a wonder to read about. The Glass Castle of the title is a house which her alcoholic, genius father has designed and promised to build for the family some day. The house will be solar powered and made all of glass. Like so many other things her father promises her, the house never materializes. In fact, the fortunes of the family of six steadily decline over the course of the book, right up until near the end. There are so many astounding details of the life they lived together, that none can be singled out. If you love a good memoir, this is the book for you. Grade: A