The Glass Castle is an entertaining and somewhat disturbing memoir about really bad parenting. What's interesting is that while the parents are objectively terrible, Walls portrays her childhood as a rather heroic and engaging adventure. It's not that she doesn't acknowledge that parents that barely feed their children are bad parents, but the book still shows the ways in which she had freedom and learned remarkable self reliance. I was far more coddled as a child, and I'd say I am far more fearful as an adult. (May or may not indicate causality.)

Should the kids all have been taken away by social workers? Probably. And yet, they seem to have turned out pretty well, at least according to the book.

Anyway, if you ever complain about your childhood this is a handy reality check. If it's worse than Walls' was, you've definitely got the right to complain!

Very entertaining and well written.