Castelul de sticla este povestea adevarata si tulburatoare a unei familii nonconformiste pentru care aventura, spiritul liber si traiul neingradit de reguli inutile sunt mai presus decat confortul unui camin tipic. Sotii Walls isi cresc cei patru copii invatandu-i sa nu se teama de nimic, sa gandeasca liber, sa fie independenti, dar toate acestea vin cu pretul unei vieti de nomazi, al absentei unei case decente si, de multe ori, al lipsei mancarii si hainelor. Rex Walls, tatal, un tip carismatic, de o extraordinara inteligenta, ii invata pe copii istorie, fizica, vaneaza demoni impreuna cu ei pentru a-i face sa-si depaseasca temerile, le daruieste stelele de pe cer de ziua lor, dar, dincolo de toate, nu reuseste sa le asigure un trai decent. Peste ani, fiica cea mijlocie, Jeannette, isi povesteste copilaria intr-o carte unica, de un umor extraordinar, dar si de o profunzime emotionanta.
Ceea ce face aceasta carte atat de speciala, devenita bestseller in numeroase tari, nu este doar curajul lui Jeannette Walls de a scrie lucrurile pe care un om obisnuit le-ar ascunde poate, din jena, ci faptul ca face asta cu tandrete si dragoste fata de familia sa, incercand mai degraba sa-si inteleaga parintii decat sa-i judece.
„Memoriile sunt basmele moderne. Autobiograful este pus fata in fata cu provocarea de a incerca sa inteleaga, sa ierte, si chiar sa iubeasca vrajitoarea... Cititorii vor fi uimiti de inteligenta si curajul copiilor familiei Walls."
The New York Times Book Review
„Socanta, trista, pe alocuri melancolica, aceasta carte minunat scrisa descrie cu sinceritate, dar si cu o surprinzatoare afectiune, relatiile cu parintii si taria legaturilor unei familii, la bine si la rau."
" I lunge forward at him hitting his groin with my knee then right between the eyes. As soon as I do, he crashes to the ground, out cold. I go for more, but a pair of arms snatch my waist lifting me up. I kick my legs and flail my arms to get closer but he is too strong.
"Let go of me!" I demand.
"Shut up." A low strong voice commands."Is he okay?"
"He is fine." I grunt.
Then the young adult wakes up, then scurries back away from me. "Sorry ma'- miss... " he says, making me angry again.
I give him a cold stare.
"I'm sorry." He repeats, standing to his feet.
"Put. Me. Down." I demand again.
With a huff he puts me down. I step forward with full intentions to punch him again but the man behind me takes my arm, holding me back. I jerk forward to get off his grip but he takes my other arm tightly.
"Alright! I'm done! I'm done!" I huff in defeat. "
This story follows Astrid, a 26 year old female who ran away from home 10 years ago. The only reason she has come back was to get away from the hole she dug her self into. She is running away from her problems again. Life before she ran away wasn't as nice as the public saw it- the sherif's family, happy, and loving. Behind the doors it was orders being barked left and right with no warning or break. Not wanted to deal with this anymore, Astrid ran. On her voyage out, she ran into some trouble that seemed all fine until it wasn't.
She comes back home and everything is all fine and dandy until,
"Unknown:
You thought you could hide forever?
I found you, and I can find your friend,
Nicole. If you want her safe, you'll be
at the ring in an hour."
Since Astrid's leave, the town suddenly had a motorcycle gang that hangs around, not realling doing anything in particular, but the sherif doesn't trust them much. Damon being the head of the gang, keeps everything they do quiet.
When these two meet up there is obious tention and immediate hatred.
***EDITING
TWs: Controling dad, violence, abuse