The Glass Castle: A Memoir (book)

THE BELOVED #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER—FROM THE AUTHOR OF HANG THE MOON

The extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, “nothing short of spectacular” (Entertainment Weekly) memoir from one of the world’s most gifted storytellers.


The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette’s brilliant and charismatic father captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn’t want the responsibility of raising a family.

The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.

The Glass Castle is truly astonishing—a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.

The memoir was also made into a major motion picture from Lionsgate in 2017 starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts.
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Published Jan 17, 2006

288 pages

Average rating: 8.22

827 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

nicholey
May 21, 2025
10/10 stars
this book makes me feel like a lonely lost little girl
Anonymous
May 18, 2025
10/10 stars
For anyone considering this book, trigger warnings for sexual assault and racial slurs.

This book broke my heart and healed it over and over again. A truly cathartic experience for me, I recommend this book to anyone seeking to make sense of a troubled childhood. Not only is the material captivating, the writing style mimics a diary in an immersive format, allowing you to digest each moment in well-paced momentum. A must-read in my opinion.
ClaireN
May 06, 2025
7/10 stars
Spoiler Alert
vhbryarly
Mar 10, 2025
8/10 stars
It evoked a lot of emotions. A powerful book in its own rite but it was also an emotional rollercoaster.
TBRdiary_
Mar 09, 2025
5/10 stars
This was a slow read for me. While the messaging is powerful about perspectives and a tough upbringing, I didn’t fully understand where it was going. Wish we had more insight into the adult years.

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