Nonfiction Annotation

Author: Jeannette Wills

Title: The Glass Castle

Genre/Type: Autobiography, Memoir

Publication Date: March, 2005

Number of Pages: 288

Geographical Setting: Various locations throughout the United States, including the Southwest desert states, Welch, WV, and NYC

Time Period: 1960s and 1970s, 2005

Series (If applicable): N/A

Plot Summary: Walls’ memoir depicts events in her life – some tragic, others triumphant – amidst an extremely unstable family life in the 1960s and ‘70s. Walls’ alcoholic father and eccentric artist mother possess both dysfunctional and redeeming traits that result in their children experiencing both exciting adventures and heart-wrenching struggles. Readers journey with Jeannette and her siblings, Lori, Brian, and Maureen and watch as they grow into young adulthood. The author ultimately triumphs in the face of unspeakable odds. This is a highly readable and extremely engaging narrative.

Subject Headings:

Walls, Jeannette

Children of alcoholics-United States-Biography

Children of alcoholics-West Virginia-Biography

Problem families-United States-Case studies

Problem families-West Virginia-Welch-Case studies

Poor-West Virginia-Welch-Biography

Homeless persons-New York (State)-New York-Family relationships

Appeal:

Pacing – This memoir reads at a leisurely pace. The reader wanders with the author for the first two-thirds of the novel and there is no rushed conclusion (Wyatt, 2007). Eventually, the novel picks up speed once the author reaches adulthood. There is minimal dialog, and the author pays great attention to details of events in her childhood and describing the various settings.

Characterization – The subject of this memoir is characterized in such a way that the reader feels a deep connection with her. Readers will connect with the character and develop a keen interest in her story. We watch the main character grow and develop through her myriad descriptions of personal hardships and a few magnificent triumphs, as well as through her descriptions of events, characters, and settings. The secondary characters are thoughtfully developed and add to the interest and richness of the story (2007).

Story Line – This memoir details the experiences in the life of the author and, for the most part, is organized chronologically. The narrative takes us to the different places where the author lives and what she experiences in each place as she grows into adulthood. Regarding the narrative continuum, this book is highly narrative.

Setting/Frame (Detail) – This appeal element is integral to the memoir. The author takes us on her childhood journey, and she describes the various settings in such detail that the reader feels as if he/she is on the journey with her. The book is adequately saturated with details of a nomadic life of poverty and instability.

Language – Walls utilizes prosaic language in an elegant way. Her style is witty, sharp, and stays true to the dialect of the people and times about which she writes.

Tone – The heart-wrenching and reflective tone of this memoir is integral to its appeal. The author elicits strong emotions from the reader throughout.

3 terms that best describe this book: heart-wrenching, reflective, bleak

Similar Authors and Works:

Nonfiction:

Both titles are memoirs that follow the childhoods of girls beholden to their parents’ extreme views and dysfunction. The books share a reflective tone.

This memoir by Sherman Alexie details his difficult childhood on an Indian Reservation. Like Walls, Alexie’s parents are also alcoholics. His writing is witty and engaging and his tone is reflective.

 

This is a moving memoir that tells the author’s story of survival and success despite being reared in a highly dysfunctional and unconventional family. Her parents were survivalists and held beliefs about medicine and child rearing that were ultimately extremely damaging. Both stories are heart-wrenching and candid.

 

Fiction

This title details the life of a young girl with a drug-addicted father who must use her wits to get by. The story shares the gritty writing style and the heart-wrenching tone of “The Glass Castle.” The protagonist shares a lot in common with Walls as she depicts herself in her memoir.

Both books examine a young girl's life with parents who raise them in unusual and psychologically damaging ways.

This fiction title portrays the childhood of a young boy living in poverty with an alcoholic mother during the 1980s and incorporates his inner musings and personal reflections. The tone is heart-wrenching, haunting, and bleak, with a leisurely pace.

 

References

Wyatt, Neal. (2007). The readers’ advisory guide to nonfiction. American Library Association.